Corrupted
by Darkford
Summary: Joan 'Justice Knight' Deverson was a normal girl, who just happened to have Aoyama's phone number. But, when Aoyama's friend brings the Case Closed world to life in his computer, and his computer gets corrupted, things go wrong, and Joan finds herself stuck in Conan's world. No longer updated, might continue, might not.
1. Prologue

Joan 'Justice Knight' Deverson. She, of all people, was feeling very, very strange.

In her mind, she felt clear of worry, but her body felt like it was on fire.

"Oh G-go-" she coughed, choking on her own words. "Wha-am I - Poisoned?" She stopped talking and focused on survival.

Then, in some strange twist of fate, it all ended and she was traveling. She thought 'traveling' because she didn't know how exactly she was moving - she was merely aware of the fact, like her existence was something she was far too hypersensitive to not to notice.

She opened her eyes slowly, feeling her body again, and nearly screamed in panic.

Thankfully, she was a level-headed girl.

In front of her was something she never thought she'd see in her life.

"Akako Koizumi," she muttered, her eyes going wide. "Why am I here?"

"I have called upon you, greater being," The person - Akako, the character from the series Joan watched so often, began. "in hopes of hearing about the fate of this world. Something is afoot, something even Lucifer cannot tell me, and I need your guidance."

Then, in her mind, everything clicked into place. Somehow, Akako had summoned her into the story, pulled her into some twisted reality where the entirety of the Detective Conan universe was real. Her heart beat fast as she wondered how to answer.

"You... are too powerful," she settled on, frowning. "This should never happen. None from my world should be pulled into yours."

Akako frowned. "You will not tell me anything? Not even after I went to such incredible effort to summon you, greater being?"

"It may break everything," Joan replied, voice breaking slightly. "If I tell you about your world, not even knowing what has happened so far-" she bit her words and looked away, at the unnamed servant and the dark walls around her. "Time must be preserved. Let me down from your cauldron, and I'll try to fix your mistake, Akako-san." Akako blinked, then with great reluctance held out a hand and led Joan down to solid ground.

With haste, she picked up her phone from her skirt pocket, grateful it was still there at all, and dialed the number she'd promised she wouldn't.

It had been many years ago that the author she looked up to so much had given her his number. It wasn't impossible that she had zero chance at contacting him, but it was worth a shot.

She heard the buttons beeping, the sound as the phone dialed.

Was it even the same number here? Was she just calling a stranger? Was it-

"Moshi Moshi?" A masculine voice inquired with a hint of exhaustion. "Wata-"

"Mister Aoyama?" Joan inquired seriously. "Gosho Aoyama?"

"Hello?" he replied in broken English. "Who is talking?"

"My name is Joan," Joan replied. "but that isn't important. It's about the Detective Conan series, and-"

"Who are you talking to?" Akako asked seriously, leaning in.

"Nani?" Aoyama let slip. "That was Hayashibara's voice... how?"

"No," Joan interrupted. "It was Akako's voice. I'm in this weird place where it's all real and I would appreciate knowing what happened."

"Oh no," he murmured. To Joan, he explained, "Someone warned me about this, that what I wrote was being literally created, but... I didn't believe it. All that stuff about a world computer and... oh no."

"Please," Joan begged. "Just let me see if we can work this out. I'm pretty sure I'm... Akako-san! What year is it?" She asked seriously, holding the phone up to hear.

The reply made Aoyama give a confident sound. "Yes, you be at the beginning of series, before Conan exist, and after Kaito do. I suspect that world try to change from story..." They discussed long and hard, considering the possibilities.

"Who told me of this was not bad person," Aoyama explained. "Was friend. He claimed that he run big, powerful computer that create other universe. Akako probably too powerful, I be sure to add limiter on her in near future of her exist." Akako expressed discomfort at this suggestion.

"May I speak Akako?" he inquired.

"Alright, if you think it won't hurt anything." Joan handed the phone to Akako.

"Your creator wishes to speak with you," she explained briefly. Akako took the phone with shaking hands.

"Hello?" he asked. "Akako?"

"Yes sir?" she answered in a shaking voice.

"Be scared no!" he requested. "I help. Need your help keep world stable. Okay?"

"Okay," Akako decided. "I can't refuse, I guess."

"Be careful, Akako," he requested seriously. "I call back to Joan phone when I find out new things. Make sure she tell you, okay?"

"Okay."

"May I speak Joan?"

"Right." she passed the flip-phone back to Joan, who took it confidently.

"Mister Aoyama? I'll call you back if anything aside from the plot develops," she said. "Please call me if anything at all changes. I'll be sure to keep you up to date."

"Call weekly if nothing?" Aoyama requested.

"Yes," Joan decided. "That's a good idea. But try messaging instead, I don't know how often I'll get involved in the plot."

"Right." a thump sound was heard. "This very big."

"Yes," Joan admitted. "I'm terrified, myself. But I'll stay strong. Maybe..." she paused.

"Yes?"

"What if you character-draft something, and put my name on it?" Joan suggested. "Just curious."

"Okay," Aoyama decided. "But be careful."

"Of course."

She proceeded to describe herself, with some loose but noticeable changes, like her eyes going from hazel to blue and changing her hair to a more common black that the Japanese would expect, instead of the shocking blonde that her hair was. She made herself a bit taller, too, more out of a personal desire than anything, and a few moments after she finished she felt her stomach churn.

Dropping the phone, she directed Akako to it, and her butler picked it up and offered it to her.

"Give to Akako," she requested, right before she yelled and the tips of her hair became black. she cringed as she felt her eyes burning up, hoped she never did something like this again, and paused before stretching out and thanking the stars above for it being over.

"I must leave for work," Aoyama apologized when she got back on the phone. "But I call when I have time. Good Luck."

"Yes, same to you," Joan agreed. "I'll talk to you again soon, Aoyama-sensei."

The call ended, and she turned to Akako.

"What have I done?" she asked pre-emptively. Her butler came up beside her, supposedly to be a support figure.

Joan sighed. "You have pulled me, Joan, into a different universe. In my universe, it's... complicated, but you're, like, a story, a TV show. Something people watch and enjoy, and buy books and movies of. Aoyama Gosho, the man I just called, is the one who creates the story. He owns it, in a way, created you and Kaito KID and everybody of importance in this universe."

"I'm... important?" Akako asked slyly.

"Well, you're not a main character," Joan replied. "But you're definitely important, and you stand out from the pile of detectives and thieves that most of the story is based on."

Akako glowed like the Red Sun.

Joan tapped her on the shoulder. "Earth to Akako-san? Hello?"

"Oh, sorry," she murmured.

"Look, I need somewhere to stay. Mind sparing somewhere in your house?" Joan asked, hints of exasperation in her voice.

"Right, yeah," Akako nodded. "Oi, get her a room, will you?"

The butler nodded seriously, and guided Joan to a rather fancy bedroom on the second floor, on which she slept like a rock.

* * *

The next morning, she flipped open her phone and saw that Aoyama had already sent a new message.

It read:

" _Joan friend, I hope you is in good health. Would you like be able to switch between child body and adult body?"_

 _"Yes!"_ She typed eagerly, forgetting briefly how that happened normally in the story. " _I think that would be really useful."_

 _"It will happen!"_ He responded later that day, as she ate the breakfast the Butler had prepared.

"Thank you," she said respectfully, after polishing off her meal. "It was delicious."

"I'm glad," Akako smiled. "I was worried, since you didn't say anything before you ate..."

"Not in my customs, don't worry over it." Joan waved it off. "Why say anything about someone's cooking before you eat it?"

"I guess that's a way of looking at it," Akako decided. "Where are you headed next?"

"To Beika." Joan announced, getting up. "I must ask that you lend me some things. I was summoned here with nothing but the clothes I wear, and I can't retrieve my own things." She frowned. "I don't really want to think about how to get back, but... I guess I have to."

"I'm sorry," Akako said sincerely. "Mostly I summon Lucifer, and he and the other Oni I summon can usually get back on their own. Most incantations don't even require the summoned one to appear; they just do so anyway."

"It should be fine," Joan decided. "But I think that this world will be thrown off balance a bit. I'll have to work towards maintaining the timeline."

Suddenly, she felt her stomach seize up.

Looking down, she noticed that there were the remains of half a pill of... something... oh, no.

She immediately forced herself into a fetal position on the floor, swallowing deeply and hoping for it to be over quickly. She felt her very skin pulling in on itself, and with a few moments of pain she winced and blacked out.

* * *

When she woke up, she was a child.

It felt strange, being a child again. She felt her body heat up as she realized she was probably naked, too, but when she looked down she was draped in the clothes from before. Thanking Lady Luck for keeping her image pure, she focused on trying to change back.

Just then, her phone let out a cheery tone, and she read a message from Aoyama.

" _Sorry for abrupt transformation! Just touch back of neck and you change to being Adult. Touch to switch between Adult and Child. Good Luck!"_

She sighed, glad it was over, and stretched, before touching her neck base and feeling a seizing in her stomach. Luckily, this one only lasted a second, and she was almost instantly an Adult again.

"That's..." Akako searched for words.

"Written in, as per Aoyama's suggestion," Joan said calmly. "Don't worry. Everything's fine."

"You're sure?"

"I'm certain." Joan got up. "Now, those supplies?"

* * *

A/N: This will not be updated regularly. It will follow the main series of Detective Conan as much as possible, but... yeah. With an extra variable added into the mix.

I have too many projects, so this will only be updated when I'm incredibly inspired or incredibly bored. Sorry.


	2. Prologue - Part 2

Beika Station was exactly how Joan imagined it - as it was in the anime and manga. However, this world was probably based more off of Aoyama's work than her own mind.

Via some messages, she'd figured out about this friend of Aoyama's who'd figured out about this strange reality. Apparently he'd been able to recreate Aoyama's mind - in very, very loose terms - and now, this world in his mind was being created. It was almost creepy how he'd explained her involvement.

Basically, when Aoyama had met Joan all those years ago in Tottori, he had been inspired by the intelligent way she spoke for her age. In a strange twist of fate, writing the series had reminded him of her, and his frequent imaginings of what would have happened had she been in the series had been enough to literally pull her into the world that this friend had created with his computer.

But that wasn't what worried her most.

Instead, it was the contents of the most recent message.

" _Friend is distraught,"_ Aoyama had sent. " _Friend computer has virus. You be safe, but Conan story not so safe. Be careful, Joan friend."_

She looked out at the station as people passed her by, ignoring her almost entirely save as an obstacle in their path. With a moment of resolve, she turned around, to walk out-

"Ow!" she cried, gripping her knee. She looked up and felt her stomach churn.

 _Akemi._

With a hurried apology, Joan ran as fast as she could to get away.

 _NO! What am I supposed to do!?_

Her heart beat faster and faster as she ran all the way to her new home.

* * *

It was funny, really. Aoyama had conveniently managed to make it so that she had a steady, easy job, a good home, and a great number of freedoms, all within a week.

The home had come first, when the landlord's son had lost his cat (again) and she had found it not long after. The father had decided that she could stay there cheaper if she continued to help the family, which she had no qualms with.

Second was the job, which both surprised her and made her feel better than she had in a long time. A part-time job at a nearby bookstore, filled to the brim with Anime, Manga, and really, really good books. Her loves all in one place, and she got to spend two hours a day doing so. It also helped that they were prospering from her presence... she wondered briefly if that was intentional, but decided not to push it.

So, with no school, an easy job, and a good house, what was a girl to do?

Well then.

* * *

In the end, she had decided on a very risky decision. With enough confidence, she had managed to find herself - her _child_ self, that is - enrolled at Beika Primary school.

This would be very, very interesting.

* * *

Her mind raced as she heard the schoolteacher - the old schoolteacher, not the one she remembered from the show, Mrs Kobayashi, but someone named Mr Hizukawa explain to the class that there was a new student. His gruff voice called for silence, and a few moments later he stepped out into the hall and beckoned her in.

With quick, practiced motions that she hoped were good enough, she awed the class by writing her name on the board and proceeded to explain who she was.

"I am Jo Mizukami," she explained in a quiet, steady voice that was only odd because it was tiny and chirpy. "I may not be very well most of the time, but I hope that won't get in the way of being friends. I like books and mysteries." There was general chatter until the sharp barking from the teacher calmed the class down.

"Mizukami-san, you can take a seat behind Tsuburaya-san, okay?" he announced. Joan nodded calmly and sat down, before she finally connected the dots.

As class started, she leaned forward, and whispered, "Are you... Mistuhiko? Tsuburaya... Mitsuhiko?"

Her heart rate sped up just from her excitement. Out of all the characters, Mitsuhiko had been her favourite. So innocent and kind in a world of people who were broken, he was... well. He was her mental precious cinnamon roll.

"Y-yeah?" he replied. "You're... Mizukami-san, right?"

"Yes." She smiled. "I'm sorry. We can talk or something after class."

"Okay."

She moved backwards again and paid half a mind to the class at hand as she considered what to say to Mitsuhiko.

With a quick check to make sure that the teacher wasn't paying attention to her, she quickly typed out a message to Aoyama.

" _Anything you want to say to Mitsuhiko? Anything I ought to say?"_

She quickly got a reply. " _Tell him most things. Explain computer thing nicely you can, and tell him be careful. Mitsuhiko is trustworthy one, I wrote him to be."  
_

" _Okay."_ She sighed in relief and put her mind to the simple problems on the board.

 _2 + 3? Seriously? That easy?_ She sighed. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._

"Uh, Mizukami-san?" A girl tapped her shoulder.

Turning around, she automatically said, "Can I help you, Yoshida-san?"

"Uh, yeah!" Ayumi, as Joan realized she'd automatically replied to directly, said. "Do you know the answer to question 4?"

"Yes," Joan answered. "Look. So you have two fingers, here-" Joan held out a hand and hand two fingers forward. "Then, one-two-three. That's one-two-three-four-five." She showed a fully opened hand.

"Ah! I see!" Ayumi cried, writing down the answer in sloppy handwriting. Joan blinked, then sighed.

"Uh, what's wrong?" Ayumi asked.

"Not much," Joan replied, smiling calmly. "I just wrote my answers in English by accident. Seeing your sheet reminded me."

"Oh!" Ayumi cried, grabbing Joan's hand suddenly. "You're English? That's so cool!"

"It's not that amazing," Joan tried, smiling awkwardly. "Japanese is cooler. All the symbols look so cool compared to the American chicken-scratch."

"No way!" Ayumi retorted firmly. "You're way cool! And you're good at maths too!"

"I'm not that good," Joan protested, gently sliding her hand away. "Thank you, though. I'm happy you think so."

Then, right as they stopped talking, the bell rang loudly for lunch.

* * *

"What did you want?" Mitsuhiko asked seriously. "Are you maybe... asking for help? Or-"

"Stay calm," Joan instructed. "This is big stuff." She paused. "I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting to meet you so quickly, so I have nothing planned in advance."

"You... wanted to meet me?" Mitsuhiko asked, clearly confused. A mixture of emotions showed clearly on his freckled face, from flattered to fearful.

"There are much bigger things that I am involved in," Joan began, hoping to garner his attention with mystery. "I'm not supposed to be here, in this world, but in another one. Called here by people with too much power." She turned to face Mitsuhiko directly.

"Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya, I regretfully inform you that you might find yourself involved in the corruption of this world."

"Corruption?" Mitsuhiko stuttered.

"I'll try to explain, but know that things in this world are somewhat predestined. They can be manipulated, changed in ways that are beyond our control. And something has gone very, very wrong." She paused, and got out her notebook. Beckoning him, she began to draw.

"Imagine that this world runs off of a really powerful computer," she began. "Then imagine what would happen if that computer got a virus, which altered something in the world." She drew a small star to represent a virus, and had it touch a crude stick-figure of a girl.

"The virus gave extra power to the individuals in this world that... have a special status." She thought for a moment. "Ones that have been recognized by the ones with manipulative powers. One of them pulled me into this world without any warning."

"I wouldn't believe you," Mitsuhiko said honestly, "but you're obviously dead serious. Any way you can prove it?"

 _Hm. I do have a body suit under this... right._

"Okay then, but tell the teacher I won't be back for second half," she decided. Reaching back, she touched her neck gently.

A few moments later, a fully-grown woman sat there.

Mitsuhiko gaped, and was about to comment when she turned back.

"That is my true form," Joan stated as seriously as she could.

"I- Okay." Mitsuhiko stuttered.

"You mustn't tell anyone about this," Joan said very seriously. "The only reason I told you is because Aoyama and I decided to. He asks that you be careful, and that there are bigger things afoot. If you ever begin to feel weird, or ill, or in any way different, _tell me._ You might be under the effects of the virus, and it could be... very, very, VERY bad, especially since you've got MC status."

"MC status?" Mitsuhiko inquired.

"Main Character," Joan explained. "A lot of this world is recorded like a story, revolving around specific people. You are one of those people, and so, if you were corrupted at all it would be really, really bad."

"Right," Mitsuhiko nodded. "What... what should I do?"

Joan considered.

"Here," she said, at last, passing him her spare phone. "The one that says 'Joan' is my number. If anything comes up, call me, okay? I'm here to help fix the computer, and if anything happens, you're one of the people it would be likely to affect."

he took it with shaking hands and put it slowly in his pocket. With a quivering voice, he asked, "I... can I call you Joan-chan?"

"Sure," Joan smiled. "If I can call you Michel. It's... just a personal thing."

"Michel?" Mitsuhiko considered. "Okay. Thanks, Joan-chan. I'll help any way I can," he said with a shaky yet confident voice.

"I'm glad," Joan replied. "but be careful, and don't tell anyone. I repeat, Anyone. Only if I give you permission. It might ruin everything."

They parted ways, Joan going home, and Mitsuhiko desperately trying not to explode with questions.

* * *

A/N: Andddd here I go writing yet another chapter. Hopefully the flower of creativity won't wilt.


	3. Ep 1-2

Joan yawned, looked outside, and decided it was too cold to go to school.

Being enrolled as a very sickly student had its own unique advantages.

Leaving a message for the school to pick up, she swung her legs over the bed and checked her calendar. She felt the phone in her pocket vibrate, and she pulled it out to check quickly.

" _Joan friend, today is day Shinichi is take Ran to Tropical Land! Be there, but no interrupt story unless important, okay?"_

 _"Okay!"_ She typed back, heart beating in her chest. She got dressed properly and quickly sorted herself to go to Tropical Land, hoping her spare cash was enough. She spun through the kitchen and was about to walk out the door-

She slipped on something and fell flat on her face. Looking up, she blinked, and immediately broke into laughter. Pausing long enough to pick up the o-so-lucky VIP pass that just so happened to be lying on her doorstep, she got up and turned for the train station.

Today would probably be a good day, all things considered.

* * *

Being a kid had it's advantages.

After walking in as an adult, she changed to being a kid in the bathrooms and dropped off her duffel bag in the change rooms, leaving her free to ride all the rides to her heart's content. Unlike the Americans, the Japanese were used to long lines, and they were also used to getting people on the ride one hundred times faster.

A line she thought would take three hours only took half a one, and the rest went at least twice as fast as she predicted. She was so elated by this fact that she went on literally every single ride, feeling excited for every one.

Then, of course, she made a mistake.

She was stretching in the plaza of 'Horror and Fantasy' Land when she felt a hand pat her shoulder.

"Hi, Jo-chan!" Mitsuhiko said nervously. Ayumi and Genta glanced at each other and grinned.

"Hello, Michel," Joan replied, sighing. "Hm... you've run out of money for the rides, haven't you?"

"Wow! Mizukami-san, how did you know?" Ayumi awed.

"You may call me Jo-san," Joan smiled, "and that's a secret. A magician never tells secrets." She grinned to herself. Magicians were one of her favourite things, even if she always figured out the trick.

"Oh!" They awed.

"Well," Joan said mysteriously. "You were thinking of riding the Mystery Coaster for free, yes? That isn't very honourable." The three hung their heads with guilt.

"But who am I to complain," Joan shrugged, carefully showing off her VIP pass. "It's not like I can't bring friends along."

The three of them glowed like the sun, and in her heart she had to remind herself that these kids were still kids.

"Let's go," she decided. "But take it slow. There's no need to sneak about."

* * *

In her chest was this painful warmth that told her to stop the deaths of the man on the ride, but she knew that messing with it needlessly would be silly. These people were still alive, that was true... but there would be no end to what might change if she stopped it happening.

She was careful to make sure to move slowly, and for once she begged the lines to be long and winding. Instead, it was practically empty, and she begged the lords above to have it be that that future murderer and her friends went first.

She nearly died when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Darn! We're going to miss the ride!" She heard the adult voice say, and she turned around instinctively.

"Oh," she said quietly, pausing. She sent Mitsuhiko a _look_ and said to Shinichi, "Are you Shinichi Kudo?"

"Yeah!" He grinned. "See, Ran? Even the kids hear about me!"

"Yeah, yeah, let's watch your ego inflate again," Ran murmured.

"Please, go ahead," Joan smiled. "There isn't enough room for me and all my friends to go on anyway."

Before Ran could protest, Shinichi was pushing her into her seat on the ride, and with an ominous rumble they were off.

"Jo-chan?" Mitsuhiko whispered once they had left. "What was that about?"

"Trust me on it," she whispered back. "he needs to be there. It's... a fate thing, pre-planned. But listen... I'd appreciate it... if when the ride comes back, you close your eyes until the screaming stops."

Mitsuhiko suddenly looked very scared.

"Don't worry," she added hurriedly, "you and your friends are safe. I'll make sure of it."

She steeled herself as she heard the screeching of the ride coming to a stop. Her heart dropped and she felt her stomach churn, but luckily for her she was expecting it.  
From the screams around her, she expected the others weren't.

Mitsuhiko, thankfully, had his eyes screwed shut, and she was carefully positioned in front of Ayumi and Genta. Unfortunately, Genta was too tall not to see and fainted straight off, while Ayumi squeaked pitifully and gripped Joan's sleeve.

"Feel free to hide in my shirt, Yoshida-san," Joan said sympathetically. She felt a small head, really rather large next to her, but still small, nuzzle itself into her back and begin to cry salty tears into her white tee.

Staring as Shinichi walked behind the scenes, she suddenly realized something, and her stomach did a flip.

 _Shoot!_

She turned to Mitsuhiko. "I messed up!" she hissed. "Take care of these two for me, okay?!" She handed Ayumi off to Mitsuhiko and ran after Shinichi.

Quietly tracking him, she made sure to keep her footsteps quiet as she watched him inspect the area. He was clearly missing the pearl from the necklace, the key to the case, which probably wasn't his fault. She creeped forward, and using the hem of her shirt, she carefully plucked it out while he was looking away.

"Are you looking for this?"

He snapped around, and eyes went wide as she showed him the pearl. He took it in a plastic bag and paused.

"Thanks, kiddo," he said, rubbing her head. "You might have saved some lives."

"No problem," Joan smiled. "but, Kudo-san..." she paused.

"Be careful," she warned, "and expect to see me again sometime. Tonight is a night of fate." She curtsied and ran away before he could say anything more.

* * *

She stood in silence as Shinichi Kudo, Sherlock Holmes of Eastern Japan, completed his last case as an adult.

"Using the bars for support," he explained, rope in hand, "I throw the rope over the victim's head and throw the hook onto the rails of the ride. This is all done in the dark tunnel, of course," he added, pausing. "The speed and momentum alone would be enough to kill the victim."

Megure looked very, very nervous in the victim's seat, with the rope around his neck. He slowly pulled it off and got out.

"But, but!" The accused stuttered, nervously.

"This acrobatic stunt would be achievable for a gymnast like you!" Shinichi Kudo announced, pointing at her.

"Stop Joking!" She cried, stress evident in her voice. "Where's your evidence?!"

Kudo's eyes narrowed and briefly passed over the crowd of people, settling briefly on Joan. She felt her blood turn to water as he turned back and asked, "Where has your necklace gone?" She stared in shock at her neck, eyes going wide. "You were wearing a pearl necklace before you got on the roller coaster!"

He pulled the plastic bag from his pocket, the pearls and string Joan had given him in the bag. "Is this part of it?"

She stared at it in horror, barely breathing.

"There is more evidence," he said sadly. "Your tears."

He proceeded to explain. "You knew he was going to die, so you cried before you killed him. There are still traces of them on your face." He looked terribly sad, for a long, steady moment. "If you didn't start while riding the roller coaster, the tear-marks would not be flowing sideways!"

Finally, having enough, she collapsed to her knees in tears.

Joan could clearly see that Shinichi didn't enjoy this part of being a detective. It was horrible to crush these broken people further... but she felt, probably as much as he did, that it was the right thing.

The woman, collapsing to the ground, began to cry heavily, moaning and whining about how cruel he had been, how he'd dumped her for another girl, the one whose purse held the knife, fake evidence placed there by the true murderer. It sickened Joan that someone could be so unforgiving as to kill someone they loved, that she was convinced that this woman was unstable beyond repair.

"She looks so hurt," Ayumi muttered behind Joan and Mitsuhiko. Joan turned around.

"She's broken," Joan replied gently as she could. "At least she can't hurt anyone like this when she's in custody. It's sad, but what else is there that you can do?"

Ayumi nodded glumly, gripping Mitsuhiko's sleeve harder. Joan felt the nervous tugs from Ayumi, and feeling bad, she held the girl's hand.

* * *

Leaving was a different matter. As the group of kids parted ways with Joan, she held back from following them and looked around to see Shinichi and Ran standing in the plaza again. She frowned as she saw the black organization member run off, and Shinichi follow soon after, leaving Ran to herself.

 _For a romantic like him, he sure is bad at being romantic, even if he does have a duty._

She trotted over to Ran, who had stopped crying and was staring at the place where Shinichi had gone. She started to run after him, and Joan panicked.

 _This doesn't happen in the anime! Oh, shoot! Uh, what do I do?!_

She grabbed the hem of the older girl's shirt, and immediately made up a convincing story.

"Oh..." she said sadly, still gripping onto Ran's hem. "You aren't my Mum. Have you seen her, miss?" She paused, realized she'd spoken in English, and decided to take advantage of it.

"I'm sorry," Ran replied in broken English, after sighing and giving up looking for Shinichi. "My English not good."

"Your English is good, Miss!" Joan said brightly. "I understand!"

"Ah," Ran laughed lightly, misunderstanding. "No, that not what I said..."

"It wasn't?" Joan asked innocently. "Oh... um, ahem. Have you seen my mother?" she asked, trying to fake a heavy English accent.

"No, I'm sorry," Ran apologized. "Why don't we ask the nice people over at the help Desk?" She suggested, taking Joan's hand.

They walked away, just as Shinichi's head made a quiet, dull thud on the earth, and his vision faded to black.

* * *

"She never showed up, so..." Ran looked down at Joan.

Mouri Kogoro, failure detective, felt his eyebrow twitch.

"Where's that boy who went with you, then?" He asked gruffly. "That damned 17-year-old 'Holmes of Eastern Japan'..."

"I don't know, I'll call him now. He might be able to find Joan's Mum," She decided, dialing the number.

The dial tone went for about half a minute, before Shinichi's voice rang clear over the phone.

"Sorry, I'm not home right now," it said clearly. "If you need-" She cut it off before the message could complete.

"Augh! Where is that guy!?" Ran growled, fist tightening. Joan instantly ran for cover.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ran cried, calming down. "I didn't mean to scare you! Shinichi is just such an idiot sometimes..." Joan nodded slowly.

"Why don't you check his house?" Joan suggested, smiling. "I'll be good and wait here, Mouri-neesan."

"Alright," Rand decided. "If you say so."

* * *

Joan took the spare time to clean up the office. Kogoro was about to get a case, after all. With a bit of quick work and making sure not to wake the sleeping detective until she'd finished rearranging his tie and shirt collar, she cleared out the beer cans and disgustedly threw away the cigarette in his mouth, along with the ones on the table (much to Mouri's dismay).

A few moments later, a call came in, and Mouri Kogorou, future ace detective (with a little help), answered it with gusto.

"Moshi Moshi! Mouri Detective Agency!" He said cheerfully.

"My daughter!" Cried the crackling voice at the other end of the phone. "She's been Kidnapped!"

"I'll be right there!" Mouri cried, getting up. Joan ran beside him with the phone in her small hands, as he quickly grabbed the money he needed for a taxi. "That address? Right! I'll be there soon, I promise!" She put down the phone and ran down the stairs, as Joan placed the ancient piece of machinery on the table and followed, curious.

"Odou-san?" Ran asked, gasping in surprise as he whooped in excitement and hailed a taxi, as one magically came down the road right at that moment.

Joan saw Shinichi - now Conan - widen his eyes in realization as Mouri rattled off what had just gone down.

She mouthed, 'help that idiot detective,' before dashing back inside.

Closing the door as she heard the wheels of the taxi screeching away, she quickly decided on what to do. Grabbing her clothes from the duffel bag she'd picked up when she'd left Tropical land, as well a small amount of money, she touched the back of her neck and cringed as she grew into her clothes.

Running outside, she waited patiently for a taxi, and paid him, telling him the name of the residence and pointing to it on the map. She sat down, and a few minutes later she got out, tipping the man generously.

Standing outside the residence, she watched as Conan got to thinking his way through the 'kidnapping' of Tani Akiko, one that had become an actual kidnapping in the end.

Her heart raced as she saw Conan, riding Jumbo the guard dog, as he tried to find the place where the child was being held. She ran with her thankfully stronger Adult body directly for the place she remembered the girl being held.

As she approached, she hid behind a pillar and watched carefully as she saw Conan finally stop and realize where to go. He knocked at the door with a powerful kick, and as the door opened cautiously Jumbo leaped in heroically.

Joan winced as she heard the scuffle going on, and watched carefully for Ran's arrival.

Any second now...

She had to...

oh no.

Cringing at what stupid thing she was about to do, she bashed down the door and evaluated the situation, doing a bull-charge into the man and knocking his baseball bat out of his hands. She picked it up nervously with sweating hands and approached slowly.

"Careful," She murmured. "careful..." He growled and leaped forward with his knife, which she knocked away with the bat, before twirling and whacking him again, sending him down to the floor. Not knowing a better way to do it, she stood on him to keep him on the ground.

"Set her free," Joan murmured, pointing to the girl and being careful to keep her long-rimmed hat covering her face.

As Conan let the girl go free, she heard the barking of Jumbo outside. He skidded inside and came to lick her leg.

"Thanks, Jumbo," Joan said gently. "Sit here, so he doesn't escape." Jumbo complied, sitting on the criminal, and Joan went to leave.

"Who are you?" Conan asked, as she opened the door.

 _Shoot! What do I tell him?_

"I am..." she came up with something quickly. "HV, Hidden Variable. I am a person of Justice, do not worry." Then, seeing Ran on the horizon, she ran away.

* * *

In her room that night, she stared out of her window, ironically at the Mouri detective Agency. She watched as Conan yawned and lay down on the sofa there, the drapes closing even as she watched.

"Good Luck, Meitantei," she murmured. "If things keep changing, you'll need it."

* * *

BONUS PARAGRAPH

'Conan' seriously was _not_ liking being a kid again.

"I'm the transfer student, Edogawa Conan!" He said, smiling with incredible effort at the crowd of murmuring children. "Nice to meet you!"

"Nice to meet you!" The class chanted back.

 _Oh god._ He cried internally. _NOT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!_

Somewhere in the second-to-final row, a small girl with black hair and blue eyes giggled into her hand.

* * *

A/N: Poor Shinichi.

Have fun with this chapter. Don't expect this to be regular.

Reviews are always, always appreciated. Don't be a lurking reader folks!


	4. Ep 3 - Idol's Locked Room Murder

When Joan woke up, what she saw was very different from what she thought she would see.

She figured, after Conan had not made any effort to talk to her, that she would have to do so herself. But instead, she opened her eyes to see a white ceiling instead of the familiar blue one of the home Aoyama had made.

"It's sad," she heard a voice say from across the room. "To think such a young child was abandoned here, all alone..."

"I assure you that my tenant is not a criminal!" her landlord said firmly. "She's a very kind and generous lady! She would never abandon her own kid!"

 _Oh no._

Joan lifted herself, looking at her tiny, child-sized hands.

 _Did I transform in my sleep?_

With a gentle breath outwards, she got up and hopped off the bed.

"Are you okay?" The nearest policeman asked, smiling sickeningly at her. She forgave him, but ignored his statement, instead leaving for the door.

"Where are you going, little girl?" A taller, gruffer one asked.

"To a friend's house," she replied quietly. "I was told by Mum that I should go there if anything happened."  
"Alright," one of the younger officers said, getting up. "I'll drive her back to her friend's place."

She groaned internally until she realized that she could take advantage of this.

* * *

Conan stared at her like she was an alien.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Detective Mouri Kogoro moaned. "I've already got that brat to deal with!"

"I will pay for all my expenses," Joan offered, curtsying. "I merely need someone to act as a guardian and offer a small space to sleep in."

The officer with her gave Mouri a sympathetic look.

"Augh! Fine... but don't cause any trouble! Got that, kid?!" he pointed at her accusingly.

"Yes, sir, mister Mouri," Joan replied, saluting him before sending off the police officer.

"Where will you sleep, Mizukami-chan?" Ran asked sweetly. Joan looked around carefully.

"There," she announced, pointing to the spare closet. "I'll sleep there. It seems unused."

"That's a closet, Mizukami-" Ran began.

"Yes, I know," Joan replied, opening it grandly. "but it looks comfy." She began to unload her clothes onto the pegs and set up her pillows and bedroll on the floor. After a few minutes it was a makeshift bedroom.

"It's perfect."

* * *

It was a dark and gloomy night outside when she heard the closet open and felt Conan's hand on her shoulder. She twisted, blinked, then got up out of the closet, closing it behind her with an ominous creak.

"Who... are you?" Conan asked carefully.

"HV," she replied simply, looking out the window.

Conan's eyes went wide.

"You mean... you too? But you... HV was..." something snapped.

"Can I go back?"

"A silly, stupid decision, and no, you can't." She sighed. "Not for a long time."

Conan looked terribly sad for a long moment.

"Hidden Variable, who are you really?" he asked.

"Joan Deverson, your average kid." She smiled, turning around. "Or at least, your average seventeen-year-old."

"Are you... one of them?" Conan whispered into the deathly silence.

"No," Joan replied, sitting down in Mouri's chair after brushing off the remains of a cigarette. "I'm from outside."

"Outside?"

"I've said too much. Go to sleep," Joan suggested. "you have a long road ahead of you, Kudo-san."

He looked for all the world like he was about to die.

"I'm not supposed to be here," she added, looking away. "I'm just here to make sure everything goes according to plan. As long as you have me with you, you will be safe as you can possibly be. Trust me."

"What do you mean, 'according to plan?'" Conan asked with deep suspicion.

"I can't tell you, but don't worry. I'll make sure you and your dear ones are safe. Just pitch in, okay? I shouldn't intervene unless I absolutely have to." Joan got off the chair.

"I should tell Ran-" Conan began.

"Don't, no matter how much it hurts." Joan sighed. "I'm sure it's hard, but you have to stay strong, as Conan Edogawa. Just remember..." She turned, and smiled at him sincerely. "As long as you're with me, you can rest assured that the future of you and your friends are in good hands. And I don't know about you..." she grinned, standing face-to-face. "But if I were you, I would trust me. I'm here to be your friend, more than anything, Kudo-san."

"Alright," Conan decided, nodding. "But... if this is all a lie... you're in for a mental asylum, understand?"

"Yes, of course," Joan giggled. "but logic isn't this world's only driving force, y'know." She frowned.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I'm enjoying this too much. It's just so... interesting. It's hard to see the serious nature of something from the outside, but I'll try my best." She walked back to her closet.

"Goodnight, Conan-san."

"Goodnight, Mizukami-san," Conan said, sighing.

"It's Joan," Joan insisted. "I'm English."

"Okay then," Conan nodded. "Joan."

And, with that finished, they went to sleep.

* * *

The next event, most likely, was the preliminary meeting of the Detective Boys.

Joan didn't know how she would affect this, so before anyone even woke up she left a note and went to Tsuburaya's house.

When she got bored, she pushed the doorbell gently, listening to make sure it went off, and waited patiently.

A young woman opened the door, and grinned.

"Oh! Are you a friend of Mitsuhiko's?" she inquired. "I'm his sister, Tsuburaya Asami!"

"Yes," Joan confirmed. "I am Joan Mizukami. I was waiting to walk to school with Michel."

Asami gained a devilish grin. Joan ignored it politely.

"Come in!" She smiled, gently pushing Joan forward. "Mitsuhiko's friends are always welcome here."

"Asami-san?" Joan heard Mitsuhiko's voice from upstairs. "Who's here?"

"A friend of yours, she says!" Asami called back. "Named Joan Mizukami!" She giggled, and Joan sighed in exasperation.

Mitsuhiko was nearly instantly downstairs, completely prepared.

"To school?" He asked seriously.

"Yes."

* * *

"So... what's wrong?" Mitsuhiko asked, curious.

"Today is when your life truly enters the spiral of events that comprises what I know of this world," Joan said seriously. "Today, you, Ayumi, and Genta will meet a boy named Conan. Be careful; you ought befriend him. He's got a big back story, so don't ask about him, but it is vital that you become friends. Do not worry if you fail at first; he's a bit..." Joan snorted. "Big-headed. Occasionally. He doesn't mean it."

"Is there anything else you can tell me?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"No," Joan shook her head. "And do not ask for my help. I must stay as separate from the story as possible. I will help if I am needed."

"Alright," Mitsuhiko agreed reluctantly. "I... I'm trusting you on that, though. You better not be pulling my leg or something."

"Of course not," Joan smiled. "Why would I do that?"

"I don't know," Mitsuhiko admitted. "You just seem a bit... eerily serious."

"I'm just obsessed with bringing Justice," Joan admitted. "it's nothing bad. Don't worry." she glanced up. "Oh look, there's the school. Oh, and Michel?"

"Yeah?"

"Try not to talk to me today. It'll help me make sure everything goes accordingly."

"Okay."

* * *

"Can we walk home together, Conan-kun?" Cried Ayumi as she ran up to talk to him.

"Eh?" he muttered, turning around.

"You just transferred, so you must be scared, right?" Ayumi said quickly. "We'll be your friends!"

Conan looked away. He stuttered, "I don't think... there's really a need..."

"Oi!" Genta called threateningly. "Are you mistreating Ayumi?!"

Mitsuhiko, desperate, tried to defuse Genta, quickly saying, "Calm down, he's probably just nervous..."

"Shut up!" Genta cried, grabbing Mitsuhiko's collar in his upset state. "He's being big-headed towards Ayumi!"

"Don't be like that, Genta-kun!" Ayumi scolded.

"I-I've got something to do, bye bye!" Conan cried, running off.

 _Oh no,_ Mistuhiko thought, panicking. _Did I fail?_

"Not yet," He heard Joan whisper from behind him. "Maybe tonight or tomorrow. Okay? Be careful and keep trying." He turned around to talk to her, but she was already walking away.

* * *

"Ahhh... Ahhh..." Conan said into the voice-changing bow-tie.

"This was a great suggestion, Joan-chan," Agasa announced, grinning from ear to ear.

"Thank you, Professor Agasa," Joan smiled.

* * *

"That's Conan's home?" Ayumi asked from a nearby side-alley.

"Yeah!" Mitsuhiko confirmed.

Ayumi grinned. "This way, we can still be friends with Conan!"

They pulled back into the alley as a black-blue car went by and screeched to a stop. They froze, not daring to speak.

They all gasped as Yoko Okino, famous star actress and singer, stepped out of the car and walked towards the Mouri Detective Agency.

"It's Yoko Okino!" Ayumi cried, once they were in the clear.

"Yeah, but why was she going to Conan's house?!" Genta asked.

* * *

"Yo-yo-Yoko Okino?!" Kogoro screeched, his own voice barely believing it.

"Yes," she said quietly, lifting the rim of her hat.

"Conan," Joan whispered into his ear. "we must join them on this case."

"Right," Conan agreed dubiously, looking for an opening.

 _here,_ Joan thought as they were about to leave, tapping Conan's shoulder.

"Can we go too? I've always wanted to see what an idol's room looks like!" Conan cried in his cheery, child faux-voice.

"We'll stay out of trouble!" Joan added, trying her best to look as pleadingly adorable as possible.

"Fine!" Mouri Kogoro grumbled. "But stay out of the way!"

* * *

The apartments were not very glamorous by American standards, but then again, Joan hadn't had much time to find herself integrated in the Japanese culture. Perhaps this was far more awe-inspiring, and perhaps this was why Mouri Kogoro, aided detective, was gushing over it so enthusiastically until Yoko Okino's manager had calmed him.

Yoko herself was quite pretty, Joan thought. She was young and kind, and with a gentle expression that warmed hearts. She may not have looked much different than the rest of the population appearance-wise to Joan, but she could clearly tell that she had this bright personality that lasted through anything that got in her way.

Joan paused, and nodded to Conan as he went in with Yoko Okino and the rest of them. She waited for a moment, then turned around.

"All clear, Michel," she said quietly, smiling. "You guys can stop hiding in Okino-sama's car."

"How did you know?" Ayumi asked, as Genta lifted the car's back with ease and they leaped out one by one.

"Magician's secret," Joan smiled. "It's why I am who I am."

"And who are you?" Genta asked, having not talked to her before.

"Hidden Variable," Joan giggled. "AKA Joan Mizukami. It's nice to meet you, Genta Kojima-san. I hope you don't make a habit of fainting like you did at 'Horror and Mystery' Land."

Mitsuhiko gulped as the troupe of children walked about a car's length behind the party containing Conan.

"Is there something here?" He asked quietly.

"Yes," Joan said with equal gravity. "and please, be careful. You don't need to do anything. Just make sure..." she cringed. "That your lunch won't be lost."

Mitsuhiko gulped. "Does this... is this going to happen often?"

"Probably," Joan said. "I regret to say that the ones who manipulate this world have a particular affinity for Mysteries and Murder cases."

They walked towards the door and peeked inside as Yoko opened it, pretending to be visitors or residents, when Yoko Okino , Ayumi and Genta all screamed.

Mitsuhiko cringed and screwed his eyes shut, his hands balled into fists.

"You guys?!" Conan yelled in annoyance when he noticed them all. Joan nodded, sighing herself.

Kogoro ran for the door and looked in. He gasped and stepped back in shock at what he saw.

Conan merely gained a very dark look.

In front of them was the grim scene of a dead body.

* * *

As police sirens whirred outside, Megure's group of policemen snapped photos of the crime scene. Joan wondered briefly why the police were called until she realized that someone was presumed to need arresting.

The body was lying face first into the floor, a knife stabbed into his back. He was a bit on the chubby side and wore a light green shirt, and all in all he was a rather average man, around the same age as Yoko.

"It's quite hot in here," Megure commented, turning to Yoko. "Is it always up this high?"

"No," Yoko replied. "When I went out, I'm sure I switched it off."

"That's strange."

"That's not the only thing, sir!" Conan called, sitting in the corner looking through a magnifying glass. "There are water marks near the corpse, and that chair... it's the only one left standing in this mess."

He was right. Everything except that one chair was messed with in some way, mostly being overturned and ripped.

Kogoro and Megure stared at him with deep suspicion.

Joan jumped in and said, "Don't worry. He just likes playing detective, it gets to his head sometimes."

They nodded gruffly and walked away as Joan pulled him away by the arms.

"Oi! I had something going there!" Conan complained, making Ayumi laugh.

"Look, you're a kid!" Joan hissed. "What do you think spurting intelligent nonsense like that would do!?"

Conan thought first of the sensation in the news if it worked at all, and his mind flashed to the image of the men in black.

"Right, sorry," Conan apologized. "I get it. But then how am I supposed to solve this case?!"

Joan walked over towards the corpse slowly, and as the officers headed away picked up a stray hair, showing it to Conan.

His eyes narrowed as he saw the manager's eyes widen.

"Little girl," the manager said sweetly, in the voice used only for silly little children, "mind giving that hair to me?"

"Why would you want my hair, sir?" Joan asked innocently, Prompting him to shake his head.

"Nothing, I'm sorry," he apologized, getting up to listen to the discussion at hand about the owner of the knife and how it had been the fatal wound.

Joan walked casually behind the sofa, standing and staring out the window. Conan followed her, and moments later something under the sofa caught his eye.

He was about to go tell the inspector when Joan gripped his shirt.

"Conan," she hissed. "What did I just say?"

"I know," he grumbled, "but I need to-" he flinched as she turned him around.

Pointing to her neck, then making as if she were talking, he read between the lines and walked back to the sofa.

"Turn it to this frequency... and..." Conan murmured. Talking into the microphone, he said clearly in the voice of one of the officers, "Inspector! There seems to be something under the sofa!" He immediately got up and out of the way as Megure walked over.

"Oh! This is..." he said, looking at the object. "an earring!"

"That's Yuuko-san's!" Yoko announced. "She became a star at around the same time as me. Her full name is Ikezawa Yuuko."

The manager casually mentioned how Yuuko hated Yoko for some reason, which made Joan roll her eyes.

"Stop joking!" Yuuko yelled, stomping her foot indignantly. "The murder happened in Yoko's room, so you should suspect Yoko, right?" she announced, walking away primly.

"Yuuko-san..." Yoko murmured, stabbing a feeling of guilt into Joan's heart. The poor girl was already under incredible pressure, but this horrible truth that was being so nonchalantly used by her 'friend' was painful to listen to.

"This is the first time I've been here," Yuuko went on, "so it's got nothing to do with me!"

"If it's like that, then why is this thing here?" Kogoro announced, holding out the earring for the room to see.

"I thought I lost it somewhere! So it is here!" Yuuko said, putting on a faux joy at seeing it.

"There's more," Kogoro continued. "The security guard claimed to have seen you coming in here before!"

"That person just looked like me, it was not me!" She claimed, turning her nose to the air. "Allow me to use the toilet."

"I haven't finished with you yet!" Kogoro cried, following her strides.

"You're annoying!" She spat, her image ruined by her uptight personality. "Based on that earring, you're treating me like a criminal? I'm very busy!" She glared at Yoko, trying to be intimidating. "Oh! Of course, I'm not as busy as the famous Yoko-san! But if the press knew this, then your silly popularity would sink like a rock!" she cackled, making Joan wonder how upfront people could be. "And maybe then you'll have a lot of free time!"

Conan's eyes narrowed, and Joan predicted what he was thinking.

"They're similar, but only in looks, it seems." Joan commented, hands in her coat pockets.

"Hey, Oji-san," Conan said gently.

"Augh! You're annoying, kid!" Mouri proclaimed, until Ayumi kicked him in the shin and started running.

Ran came up behind him. "You should be more careful, Conan-kun," Ran warned, hugging him from behind. "If Shinichi were here, with these kind of cases, he would solve them easily..." she murmured. "I wonder where he went?"

Joan sent Conan a sympathetic look, and he smiled back, glad for the support.

'You're doing great,' Joan mouthed. 'I know you can do it.'

"Ugh! How many times do I need to say it before you'll understand?" Yuuko groaned, pulling out a cigarette. "I told you, I haven't been here before!" She grabbed what appeared to be a replica of the statue of Liberty and clicked the head, revealing its nature as a lighter.

Conan frowned.

"Go for it," Joan whispered. "Bring attention to it."

Conan nodded and said, "Wow! That's a peculiar lighter!" he grabbed it off of her and looked at it himself. "Onee-chan, if you haven't been here before, how did you know this was a lighter?"

The cigarette dropped out of her mouth.

"That's right! How did you know?!" Megure interrogated.

"My friend has a similar one," she answered quickly, though Joan could see the pressure begin to squeeze on her ability to false her way out.

"Where is your friend?" Megure drilled.

"Where is the toilet?" Conan interrupted. "This is my first time here, so I don't know."

"Eh? It's down the hallway," Yoko replied, pointing.

"That's right, you even knew where the toilet was!" Kogoro said, his voice seeping with suspicion. "That means, Ikezawa Yuuko, you are the murderer!"

Joan face-palmed, but thankfully went unnoticed save for Conan, who shook his head and shrugged in a resigned fashion.

"No! No! I didn't kill him!" Yuuko cried, desperate. "He attacked and I fought back!" She looked down with deep guilt and worry. "I did come here a few times. Using the key I stole from the break room, I looked for evidence to start a scandal! But when I came here today, that man followed me in. At the time, I used all my strength and escaped."

"...and because of that, you killed him!" Mouri said irritably, ignoring her first statement entirely. Joan fought the urge to punch the idiot in the face.

"Inspector!" an officer cried. "The dead man has been identified! Fujie Akiyoshi, 22 years old. he graduated from Kounan high and worked in the Kakubeni Industry."

"Kounan High School?" Kogoro repeated, assuming a thoughtful pose. "Yoko-san also went to that high school."

"That's just a coincidence! Right? Yoko!" Protested the manager.

"I...I..." Yoko murmured. Joan realized she wasn't going to speak. Dashing around sneakily, she stood in front of Yoko.

"It will be okay," Joan soothed quietly, making certain that only Yoko could hear. "I know you can do it. There is only one truth, and it will always prevail."

Yoko nodded. "I know him." she announced confidently, shocking her manager. She turned to face the officers and explained, "I didn't recognize him at first, but... he was my boyfriend, in high school. We broke up, but..." She shook her head.

"Yoko-san!" the manager cried.

"I'm sorry, Yamagishi-san," Yoko bowed, "but there's no point. I'm confident in the ability of these men to prove my innocence in the matter. It's silly to incriminate ourselves like this, by hiding."

"So you wanted to cut ties with him, and he came after you?" Megure asked.

"No," Yoko said, shaking her head. "He broke up with me. I didn't know it was him until I saw his body, Megure-keibu."

Conan paced the room irritably, trying to figure out what was happening. He glanced at Joan for a long few seconds.

"Do you want my advice?" Joan inquired.

"I guess," Conan admitted.

Joan smiled. "Check the death site again, and remember; there's a fourth culprit that you may not have considered."

"A... fourth?" Conan asked, looking around.

"Not that he's around any more," Joan added, shrugging.

Something clicked, and Conan immediately investigated the crime scene. Joan could almost see how he was thinking as he focused on a peculiar dent in the floorboards, and glanced briefly at the upright chair nearby. She pulled on her shirt casually, and Conan grinned. Looking down again, he seemed to remember the watermarks around the corpse.

Joan shook out her hair.

Something clicked in Conan's mind.

"The murderer is... you! Yamagishi!" Kogoro declared dumbly for the third time that day.

Somewhere near Joan, Genta got up and said drowsily, "Mmm... I slept well."

"You're awake, Genta-kun?" Mitsuhiko said in confirmation.

"Where's the toilet?" He asked, still looking sleepy.

"Over there," Joan pointed. "Need help?"

"Nah," Genta said, getting up and walking.

 _Okay. Now, Genta gets hit..._

Joan blinked as Conan wound up, carefully pausing for Genta.

 _Shoot!_

 _Well, someone has to take the plunge..._

 _Time for a nap, I guess._

She ran after Genta suddenly, saying, "Wait, not that way! It's-"

BANG!

She felt the world spin, then fell over and blacked out.

* * *

 _SHOOT!_ Kudo thought, wincing as Joan hit the floor. _Darn! I messed up!  
_

 _Wait a second._

Conan considered how she seemed to know everything he was thinking. Maybe...

Oh.

If he'd hit Kogoro right there and then, it might have been awkward. But, even as he watched, Kogoro Mouri walked into a more convenient position.

 _Alright,_ Conan decided. _Round two._

BANG!

Mouri Kogoro, hit-in-the-head-by-a-random-ashtray Detective, stumbled backwards and fell into unconsciousness just as he sat in a chair.

 _Yes!_

Conan quickly took position behind the chair Kogoro was in and turned his voice-changing bow-tie's dials to the right point.

"I'm sorry," He said in Kogoro's rough voice. "The truth hit me so hard I fell over in shock!" he grinned as he saw it working.

"I'm sorry, Yamagishi, for suspecting you. If you were the murderer and wanted us to find the corpse, you would have asked me to investigate, and then prepared some undeniable evidence proving your innocence. In this case, the fact that there is no evidence proves it instead.

"The same goes for Yoko-san. That is because the first person suspected is the owner. As you owned the knife, and fully admitted it, you can't be either."

"Then... the murderer is..." Megure deducted. "AH! Ikezawa Yuuko!"

"What?!" She cried.

"No! It isn't her either," Conan announced hurriedly before the cuffed her. "If the criminal killed someone by mistake, she wouldn't have said she'd met him before."

"But what you said..." Megure protested.

"Yes, this is only a psychological guess," Conan continued, getting into this character he'd formed. "There is no direct evidence of any of these people being the criminal."

"However, there are many other pieces of evidence proving otherwise!"

"Yamagishi! You pretended to fall and took the chance to take a stray hair from the corpse's hand."

"So you ARE the criminal!" Megure cried, beginning to act like Kogoro.

"It isn't him."

"Eh?"

"The person who was stabbed at the back was holding on to the murderer's hair. Don't you think that's suspicious?"

"Now that you mention it..." Megure decided, loosening his grip on Yamagishi's collar.

"The criminal's plan was to make people believe she did it!" Conan announced. "It was to make people believe Yoko committed the crime!"

Yoko's eyes widened.

"Then that means..." Megure looked completely and utterly confused.

"Fujie-san himself committed his own murder!" Conan cried, though the room heard Kogoro instead.

"A suicide!" Megure awed, a statement which mirrored the feelings of the rest of the room. No one even felt happy that the blame was off of their backs. They just awed.

"Impossible! How can you stab a knife into your own back?!" Megure proclaimed angrily.

"It's an easy, but complicated trick!" Kogoro's voice continued. "After setting the heater to a high temperature, and taking some hair from Yoko-san's comb, he stands on the chair. He then aims his back at the knife that's embedded in an ice block!

"On the floor, near the corpse, there is a dent made by the handle of the knife. The scattered pieces of ice will soon melt in the high temperature."

"But isn't it a bit extreme?" Megure asked.

"Yes. Yamagishi thought Yoko-san had killed him when he spotted the hair in the corpse's hand. So, he was going to hide it secretly, to protect her." Conan paused. "Fortunately, Joan-chan picked it up first and showed me."

"B-but why would Fujie-kun do such a thing?" Yoko stammered, tears in her eyes.

"I presume because he was still very much in love with you," Conan said grimly. "Haven't you noticed? Since you look very similar from behind, he mistook Yuuko-san for Yoko-san and approached, No, he only wanted to talk to you. So, when Yuuko ran away in terror, Fujie-san was shocked. He felt hopeless, helpless..."

"But he left me! Then... why...?" Yoko cried, barely containing her emotions.

"You're wrong, Yoko," Yamagishi murmured.

"Huh?!" Yoko turned to him.

"I... asked him to break up with you. For your career..."

An officer came in, carrying a diary, which was shown to have romantic passages dedicated to Yoko. It had indeed belonged to the deceased, which only served to push forward the theory of suicide.

"A lie, a misunderstanding, and a coincidence," Megure announced grimly. "Coming together to make this sad case."

Kogoro woke up to the sound and feeling of being shaken violently by his former superior.

"Mouri-kun!" Megure said jovially. "It's just like your deduction! My opinion of you is starting to change!" Megure announced.

Conan took a handkerchief from a small, feminine hand.

"Tired?" Joan asked.

"Yeah," Conan said. "Sorry, that was stressful. I didn't mean to knock you out..."

"It had to happen," Joan said wisely. "Trust me. It was either me, or Genta. He'd had enough naps today."

"Right."

* * *

Ayumi cried, "This is the first time I've ever done something that exciting!"

"I bet if we're friends with Conan-kun, we'll get to have more awesome adventures!" Genta announced, grinning from ear to ear even though he was knocked out cold for most of it.

Mitsuhiko smiled, but made no comment.

"Feeling happier now?" Joan asked.

"Yeah," Mitsuhiko nodded.

Joan grinned. "I hope you're getting used to it. It's your life for a while now."

Mitsuhiko hit his head on a wall.

"Mitsuhiko-kun? Are you okay?" Ayumi asked.

"He's fine," Joan replied for him. "I guess the gravity of it all... _cemented_ itself." Fortunately, none of the children had to suffer the full influence of the pun.

* * *

A/N: Yay! Longest chapter in the history of Darkford is finished!

*celebrates*

Enjoy it!


	5. Ep 4 - Coded City Map

Conan couldn't sleep.

He could practically _feel_ how upset Ran was. She was in tears, practically in ruins, thinking about how he was.

 _She's so kind and innocent. She doesn't deserve this._

"Call her," Joan said, making him jump. Thankfully, she'd already covered his mouth and stopped him from yelling.

"There's a phone booth outside, below the window, so she shouldn't be able to spot you," Joan said, handing him his bow-tie.

"Joan..." Conan said disbelievingly.

"Go for it." Joan sighed. "I think you need it. Both of you." She looked at Ran.

"Right."

* * *

The phone rang in the near-empty office, prompting Ran to wipe away her tears and take the phone from Joan, who had already answered it.

"It's for you," she said simply, allowing Ran to hold the phone to her ear.

"Ran!" Shinichi Kudo's voice said over the crackling of the phone.

There was a dead silence as she stopped her 'Mouri Detective Agency' spiel. "It's me! Hello?"

"Shinichi!" She cried breathlessly.

"Ran, I figured you'd be worried about me," Shinichi, as Conan, said through his voice-changing bow-tie. "So worried that you would cry," he said with a humorous tone to his voice.

"Idiot! Who would cry for you?!" She asked, though a smile played on her face as she walked over to the window. "Where are you now?"

"Someone asked me to handle a difficult case," Conan fibbed. "It's a real hard one, but when it's done, I promise I'll come right back, okay? You don't need to worry about me."

They chatted for a long time, and Joan smiled to herself.

 _What lovebirds. This... this is why I like these two so much. Their honest love for each other, even though neither has said anything yet..._

She turned around and sat at the top of the steps.

A few minutes later, after Ran had headed for bed, Conan came up the steps, snow in his hair.

"A success?"

"Yeah." Conan smiled. "I really want to go back right away, but..." he looked at his childhood shoes. "I can't risk her safety. I get that."

"Good luck, Mei-tantei." Joan giggled. "You have a long road ahead of you. But I'm sure you'll make some good friends along the way."

"Joan?" He asked, as she turned to go to bed.

"Yeah?"

He paused. "Are you... a psychic? Or just really, really smart?"

"Neither," Joan smiled sadly. "Just horribly displaced. Take things as they come, Conan Edogawa, because there's nothing I could possibly do to explain what I am to you. For now, just imagine that I... know things I shouldn't." She sighed. "I'm sorry. I can't say any more than that."

"Okay," Conan decided. "As long as Ran is safe."

"I'll do my best," Joan promised, "and if I can't, nobody can."

* * *

Joan walked out of the museum along with the other children, considering the particular singularity of a gem in one of the swords, as the future self-proclaimed 'Detective Boys' chatted away about what had been inside the museum.

It was lucky that she'd had a day off of work. Mitsuhiko in particular had been getting curious about where she went for hours after school. How could she tell them that she had a job at a bookstore?

Just then, she slipped and fell, wincing as her face hit the hard ground.

"Are you okay, Joan-chan?" Mitsuhiko asked.

"Just fine," she confirmed, taking his hand for support. "I'm good, just a fall. What did I slip on?"

 _Oh, wait._

Genta picked up the ripped notebook page and stared at it for a good few seconds, asking, "What is this?"

All of them crowded around to get a good look. The paper was really very simple. There were a few strange symbols all in descending order in a list-type fashion.

"Hey, could this be a treasure map?" Ayumi cried excitedly.

Conan face-palmed, but Joan merely said, "Why not?"

She remembered the next part of this and said, "Why don't we head downtown? We might be able to figure out what some of these symbols mean."

As they walked away, Joan nudged Conan and pointed behind them. His eyes widened at the sight of a collection of men wearing dark black suits, all watching them carefully.

"Since we're essentially being detectives," Joan said, grinning from ear to ear, "Why don't we form a group?"

"Yeah!" Genta exclaimed, excitement brimming. "From today forward, we are the Detective Boys!"

"And girls!" Joan added quietly.

"How cool~!" Ayumi exclaimed, boosting Genta's ego.

"I'll be the leader," Genta announced. "Any arguments?"

"All agreed!" Ayumi and Mitsuhiko cried, forgetting what that made them.

Conan face-palmed. Again.

"Come now," Joan smiled, patting his shoulder. "It might be the start of a beautiful friendship!"

"With kids," Conan said, his eye twitching irritably. "Very enthusiastic, annoying kids."

"They're good people, though," Joan encouraged, as they walked towards town. "It could be far, far worse. You could have the snot-bubble kid, or the boisterous ego kid... or even the overly violent kid. Trust me, these guys are great." She smiled.

Then they all stopped.

"Where are we going?" Ayumi asked, laughing nervously.

"I don't know," Genta admitted, equally nervous.

"Let's all see that paper," Joan suggested. "The best thing to do about a treasure map is follow it."

Conan took the treasure map into his hands and stared.

"Look, this symbol at the top of the paper," Conan said, pointing. "doesn't it look familiar?"

The three younger children stared.

"Ah!" they cried, as they realized its nature as Tohto Tower. Genta announced, "Let's go!"

Conan and Joan ran after them.

* * *

Joan sighed as they rode the bus, and the three kids discussed what they would buy with the money.

"I'll use it to eat all the grilled eel rice I could want!" Genta announced, eyes glowing.

"I'm gonna travel around the world 100 times!" Ayumi announced, imagining what must be a hawaii-type paradise.

"No world travel for me," Mitsuhiko said, getting into it. "I'll buy a space shuttle and travel all over the universe!"

"What about you, Conan?" Ayumi asked.

Conan wasn't sure how to answer, so Joan said, "Let me guess... a library, filled to the brim with mystery books and secret passages. Oh, and maybe a spare room for violin practice."

Conan's eyes went foggy as he imagined it.

"Spot on," Joan winked.

"What about you, Joan? What do you want to do with the money?" Mitsuhiko inquired.

"Well," Joan considered. "I would... I guess I would give it to the homeless."

"Why?!" Genta asked, shocked. "So many grilled eel rice's..."

"I want things that money can't buy," Joan said. "but it's not like they matter very much to most people. Things like Love, and kindness."

"Oh!" Ayumi exclaimed. "Joan, are you in love with someone?"

Joan laughed. "I wish I was." She sighed happily. "The feeling of being able to look at a shining, joyous smile, and feel that happiness radiate to everyone around them... that's something I want to achieve myself. To be a beacon of light in a dark room."

"Joan, that's really cool!" Ayumi decided. "You have really big, awesome dreams!"

"Thank you, Ayumi," Joan said as the bus stopped. "Oh look, there's Tohto tower."

* * *

They stood outside Tohto Tower, trying to figure out the code.

"Conan, have you figured out anything?" Ayumi asked, looking over his shoulder.

"I don't know," Conan admitted, "but I was thinking that these symbols were abbreviations for things. Like that would be a hat, and that one would be a-"

"Bikini bottom," Joan interrupted in English. She gave Conan a sly grin. "Or undergarments. Take your pick."

"Look! There's a clothing store over there!" Genta cried. "They must mean a clothing store!" They ran at it hurriedly.

"Oi!" Conan cried, trying to stop them.

Joan let out a shrill whistle.

"What is it?!" Genta asked, clearly annoyed.

"These symbols are probably just landmarks," Joan explained, "that lead to the final conclusion. So I suggest we work through them one by one and finish the job that way, before rushing into clothing stores and tearing apart the displays," she said, winking smartly.

The three of them hung their heads.

* * *

With some smart moves from Joan, she managed to make it take as long as it had before.

"I guess it wasn't a clothes store," Genta decided glumly. "Now I'm hungry."

"Can we go to a bookstore first?" Conan requested.

"Silly! You can't eat anything at a bookstore!" Genta said.

"Just for a little bit, okay?" Conan begged, feeling rather silly.

"I'm sure if he had some mental material," Joan mentioned, "he could figure something out about that treasure map. And after all..." She smiled, "They just got in the newest volume of Kamen Yaiba there, too. I'm sure if we went we could read it before everyone else."

That sealed the deal.

* * *

Conan looked through the language section as the three other kids awed at the selection of comics. Joan walked over casually and watched as he went through French and English in the blink of an eye. Deciding to help, she 'accidentally' knocked down the Italian book.

"Whoops," she said, reaching for it slowly. Conan noticed and picked it up.

"Oh, thanks," Joan said, taking his volume of advanced language courses and putting it back. He raised an eyebrow and began surfing through the pages of the Italian book. He stopped in shock as he got to the 'o' page, slowly looking up at Joan.

Joan, knowing what he was thinking, winked.

* * *

As they ate in the burger place, Joan watched as Conan scribbled furiously on a spare piece of paper, trying to figure out the code.

She could see him visibly struggling to make heads or tails of the paper.

"It probably isn't an actual sentence, Conan-kun," she whispered as the other three discussed over a burger she had bought. "Maybe it just means that the gold is at the second-last landmark."

"You're probably right, too," he grumbled, as Ayumi rushed past.

"Look, look! There's the second symbol!" She cried, pointing at the sign of a café across the street.

* * *

As night fell, Joan put in the effort to follow Conan's deduction of Tsukimi road. She felt bad leading him on like this, but she had no choice.

"Awww! We haven't seen the fifth symbol, but we're already at the aquarium!" Ayumi moaned.

Joan could see Conan's mind-gears turning, and she smiled.

"What are you smiling about?" Conan asked roughly.

She shrugged, and pointed up. "Just watching the sky where the moon rides high."

Conan blinked.

"I've got it!" He cried, grinning, energy renewed. "We've got to go back to Tohto Tower!"

* * *

They chased around the city, looking for the neon signs, each time Conan prevailing and going for the next one. First there was the stadium reflector, then there was the umbrella symbol for rain on the forecast, then the star-shaped ferris wheel.

As they searched around, Joan patted Conan's shoulder and pointed.

"Good Job so far," Joan smiled. Can you see it?"

"Yeah!" Conan cried, running for it, the three kids in tow.

 _Geez,_ Joan thought, laughing to herself. _He's into it as much as they are._

Then, she felt shadows behind her, and she dashed away.

Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough.

She blacked out. Or so the black suited men thought.

 _Maybe this could be useful,_ She thought, as they ran after the kids looking for gold.

* * *

They were gasping for air, but Conan still had energy.

They had been searching around the river for a while, but all they'd gotten was a pile of soaked shirts. Suddenly, it hit him, and Conan laughed.

"C'mon, guys!" He cried, still grinning. "Let's go up that building and look out at the river!"

* * *

"A gold coin!" Conan murmured, as he looked past the fish-shaped 'neon sign', a combination of the lights on the bridge and a pole-light over the road nearby, and instead at the coin he'd stepped on.

He went through the mental steps, finding the bags on the ceiling and tracing the rope down to one much closer to the ground.

Genta awed as Conan shook the rope, prompting a few Gold Coins to drop from the ceiling.

"Ah! The treasure!" he exclaimed, rushing forward.

Just then, Joan yelled, "Genta! Don't! It's a trap!"

He stopped immediately, and all of them heard the sound of someone being muffled. He looked up to see the three suited men, all grinning like Cheshire cats, as they picked up the stray gold pieces.

"Kids, thanks for your hard work," The Japanese one said evilly. "Your friend here was slippery enough to notice us, but no matter. You lead us to the gold anyway, even though we didn't think you could do it."

Genta, thankfully, noticed Joan being muzzled and did not decide to fight back.

Conan's eyes narrowed.

"You're those thieves that were on TV!" He cried, pointing dramatically.

"Indeed," he replied, before punching Genta down.

* * *

They had somehow all managed to be tied up, and Joan winced as Conan shuffled closer.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled. "I got it wrong."

She said something into her muzzle, but Conan couldn't hear it.

Just then, her phone rang. One of the men walked over and picked up.

"Joan friend?" she heard him say in broken English, much to the confusion of the man. "I forgot say, you is power as you is when adult as child."

Conan realized what it meant, and grinned, looking at Joan.

She smiled back, ripping the muzzle with her teeth.

"End call, Aoyama!" Joan cried. "I am busy!"

The phone clicked, and the line died.

"Silly girl," The man said, throwing the phone across the room. "If you'd asked for help, you might have lived."

"I don't need his help," Joan said simply, summoning her strength. She burst from the loose ropes with one swift motion.

The man suddenly looked very, very scared.

"You chose the wrong girl to mess with."

Bouncing forward, she launched a flurry of punches into the man's chest, and deciding to cheat, she kicked him down with a sure shot to every man's weak point. The other two men pulled guns on her, but she ran forward and knocked the guns out of their hands before pointing one at them.

"Hands in the air, criminal!" she shrieked, before launching herself bodily into one of the criminals. She dove out of the way of another full-body dive from the last one, and twisted to punch his back.

He was eventually too winded to fight back.

Then, ripping her startled friends free, she pulled with a quick motion on the rope that held up the gold coins. It fell, luckily on the heads of the already-passed-out criminals.

"We did it!" The Detective Boys cried, as Conan sighed in relief. Joan walked over and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Yeah, Joan?" he asked, smiling at her. "And by the way... I'm sorry for doubting you. I didn't trust you at first, but..." he sighed. "I guess this is enough evidence for me."

"No problem," Joan smiled. "It's a good quality, and I knew I wasn't going to win your trust right away." She picked up her phone.

She typed, " _Sorry, Aoyama-sensei! I was fighting those criminals from episode 4. I'll be sure to tell you if anything happens. So far I've been able to dodge all the bullets, and I'll be sure to practice my fighting skills, now that I know it's worth it. ~Joan"_

"And... send." She said to herself, closing the phone. She turned to see the four of them walking downstairs.

"I'll wait here and make sure they stay down and don't escape," Joan said, smiling.

"Sure, just stay safe," Conan said, before following the three other Detective Boys downstairs.

She smiled, before checking the men and transforming back to an adult, growing into the body-suit she had underneath her clothes. She pulled on a pair of gloves and grabbed one of the guns off of the floor.

"Who are you?" asked a woman in the shadows, making Joan jump internally.

"Hidden Variable, HV for short," Joan announced. "And you, miss?"

"My name is Akemi," she said, "Miyano Akemi. What happened there?"

Joan winced.

"I can't say. But I warn you, Miyano-san, strange things are afoot. I suggest you leave before the police get here."

"Alright," she decided, intimidated by the gun. "but please, if you meet a teenager called Shiho, with blond hair... tell her that I'm still around." She walked down the emergency shaft, the other way.

"Oh god," Joan swore. "was that always a thing?"

* * *

A/N: Yay, extra chapter!


	6. Ep 5 - Bullet Train Bombing

Ayumi approached Joan the next day, almost shyly.

"Um, Joan-chan?" Ayumi asked, carefully. "Let's go and get lunch together today!"

"Sure," Joan smiled, seeing through Ayumi's mask of contentment to see the confusion beneath it.

* * *

"Um..." Ayumi began, shifting in her seat nervously.

"You have something to ask me?" Joan inquired, stirring her drink with her straw.

Ayumi nodded. "Why does Conan like you so much? I mean, I thought guys liked cute and cheerful girls... and you're really cool and dark, and Conan is totally all for it. He's talking to you all the time. How do you do it? Even Mitsuhiko!" She exclaimed, obviously shaken by her loss of popularity.

"It's not affection," Joan explained, taking a brief sip from her Iced Latte. "it's awe. Conan thinks of me as an equal on the mental field, and a superior as far as physical prowess. So he respects me." She smiled. "The same goes for Mitsuhiko. Both of them respect me as an equal, if not a superior, but neither would consider me romantically."

"Oh," Ayumi said, tilting her head. "Then... what should I do to get Conan's attention?"

"Nothing."

"What?"

Joan sighed. "Just be yourself. If you have any chance of a happy future, the two of you will go together automatically." She turned to look out the window. "I know that's how it worked for me."

"Joan, you have a boyfriend?" Ayumi inquired seriously.

"No," Joan smiled sadly. "But then again, I was always destined for it."

"Huh?"

"I'd rather not explain it," Joan murmured. "It's a long story, something that... would make you feel hopeless without reason."

"Hopeless?"

Joan smiled. "Ayumi, I think that you'll find true love is far greater than the love of a thousand. It's a feeling that never goes away, which is why a lot of people are never truly happy with the people they settle down with."

"Oh." Ayumi murmured, trying to grasp that.

"Conan is far more mature than a lot of us," Joan continued. "he's confident and intelligent, so he knows exactly what he wants. And I think I can see what he wants, too." She shook her head. "And honestly speaking? I don't think the two of you were really meant for each other. I think you still need time to find the person of your dreams."

"But he's the best guy there is in the whole school!" Ayumi protested.

"So what?" Joan shrugged, sipping her tea. "'Best' doesn't mean anything. Mitsuhiko is smart and caring. Genta is boisterous and honest. Conan is intelligent and dedicated." She shook her head. "'Best' means nothing to anyone except yourself. If you choose an ugly man with a beautiful heart, some would complain that you ought choose the beautiful man with the ugly heart. It's true that Conan has a lot going for himself, but that doesn't mean much to me. He still doesn't surpass my 'best', and I doubt he should surpass yours."

"Okay," Ayumi decided. "I'm still going to try and win Conan, but I trust you. I'll try not to get too into him unless he accepts me."

Joan smiled. "There you go. Knew you were smart behind that mask of adorable you put up."

Ayumi giggled. "Mask? That's the real me!"

* * *

The train whizzed by, as Joan sat in one of the blue seats across from Conan and listened to Ran scold her father.

"I don't think there's anyone who would shave on the train of the day of his friend's wedding." Ran said irritably.

"I can't help it!" Kogoro complained, stopping to talk back. "I overslept because I was up late talking to a client!"

Joan flipped open her phone, reading the message from Akako. " _How's life treating you? I'm sorry about that pill, I don't know how it got there. I hope you're alright."_

 _"I'm fine, I put it there,"_ Joan typed back. " _Life is good, save a few token bits of excitement. I'm going to a wedding of a friend's friend, can't talk much, sorry."_

She smiled as she pushed the button and looked up.

"You always say that!" Ran groaned. "And you were passed out at the door."

"Hrmpf!" he huffed, pulling his tie tight. "Look at the appreciation I get for letting you come along!"

"But the reception is in Kyoto, right?" Ran said, eyes glowing. "Don't you want to go, Conan, Joan?"

Conan looked up from his meal and said quietly, "Um, yeah!"

"Indeed," Joan said quietly, closing her phone.

"Hey, why are they coming too?" Kogoro grumbled.

"We can't just leave them behind, can we?" Ran protested. "And Joan paid for the tickets, too!"

She looked down at Conan. "Oh! You got a new pair of shoes, Conan?"

"Yeah, Professor Agasa gave them to me," Conan said in his child voice. Joan smiled.

 _So he's got the kick-enhancing shoes now, huh? And that bit on the end of his glasses must be the mini-microphone._

Just then, the other Detective Boys came running past and began to chat excitedly in the seats behind them.

"Why do they have to come too?" Kogoro grumbled.

"It doesn't matter," Ran declared, organizing her father's tie. "Their parents paid for their fare."

"What's gotten into parents these days?" Kogoro moaned, pushing away Ran's help and setting his tie.

The Detective Boys rushed past, saying something about an adventure, before running off again.

"But the parents of these kids are even stranger," Kogoro mumbled. "Not even a phone call from Conan's, and Joan's have abandoned her! Sheesh!"

Conan jumped off and ran to go after the other kids.

"I think you offended him," Joan said patiently. "And if I were a different person then I would be, too. I'm sorry for imposing on you, Mouri-san, but it can't be helped. Neither can Conan help it; he doesn't even know what's happened to them."

"She's right," Ran agreed, frowning at her father. "They are kids, you know."

Just then, Joan turned to see two dark figures walking past. She resisted the urge to scream when she realized exactly who they seemed to be.

 _Gin and Vodka!_

She watched as Conan glared bullets into them. She sighed and got up, walking over to Conan.

"Calm down," she advised, patting his shoulder. "and be careful. They don't seem safe to be around."

"Then join me," Conan said, crossing his arms. "I'm not missing this chance."

"I know, Conan-kun," Joan smiled. "But they're already headed for the dining car." In a flash he was running past her and had dashed up to the car where dining tables were organized in a fancy manner.

She intercepted him as he stood and thought about what to do just out of sight from the diners.

"You're eating gum," she observed, as he chewed quietly. "Don't tell me you're going to bug them?"

He nearly choked.

"Let me do it," Joan continued, taking his glasses and unwinding the spy-bug from it. Handing them back, she explained, "If you do it, they might go after you. It's better if they look to me, because I don't have a history with them."

"I guess you're right," Conan admitted, spitting the gum into a nearby trash can.

"Cover my operation," Joan advised. "Make sure no-one notices me."

* * *

As she walked by, instead of putting it under the chair, like Conan would have, she snuck it underneath the ashtray itself, hoping that it would be less noticeable.

As she walked back, she saw Conan altering the frequency on his Glasses to listen in. She grinned as he smiled at being able to listen in.

"That was a good trade, right, Aniki?" he said to his partner.

"Keep it low!" The other warned.

"That's okay!" the younger waved off. "I don't think anyone will hear us. We've already got the 100 B."

Conan blinked. "That's a lot..." he whispered.

"The case we gave them is bombed," the long-haired one explained quietly. "It'll explode about ten seconds after a violent shake."

Joan snapped forward and shocked Conan as he yelled, stopping him from embarrassing himself and revealing them.

"How did you-" He asked, but Joan hushed him.

"Magician's secret," she announced, smiling sweetly.

"If the time comes," the man continued unaware, "that person will ignite the bomb without even knowing it."

Just then, the train stopped, and a feminine voice announced, "The train has stopped at Nagoya. I repeat, we have stopped at Nagoya."

"Get off the train!" the older one hissed, rushing off.

Conan was about to follow them, but Joan grabbed his arm before he could.

"Wha-"

"Hush!" Joan said. "You'll get another chance. You're just not prepared right now, do you understand? The best you can do is stop that bomb!"

"What bomb?" Ayumi asked innocently, causing Conan to fall over as Joan let go of him.

"It's a secret," Joan said quietly, waving a hand. "What do you think about playing a prank on someone?"

"Oh! Sounds exciting!" Mitsuhiko agreed.

"Good," Joan smiled, pulling out a whoopie cushion. "I hoped that would be your answer."

As the Detective Boys began pranking people on the train, Joan turned to Conan.

"It is still on the train," she said, smiling. "you have thirty minutes, Conan. Good luck, and do ask if you need my help."

"Right!" Conan agreed, searching around for the potential bomb-holders.

About one minute later, he came back. "There are too many!"

"Think back to the conversation those men were having, then," Joan said, grinning. "What was the first thing that guy said again...?"

"Something about being able to smoke..." Conan murmured. "Wait, so that means they're on a non-smoking car!"

Joan smiled. "And about seeing their last scenery?"

"The green cars!" Conan cried, becoming more excited by the second.

"Hey, Michel?" Joan called to the three Detective Boys.

"Yeah?"

"Which of the cars here are green and non-smoking?" Joan inquired. "I want to watch the mountains while being able to breathe properly."

"Number 7, upstairs!" Mitsuhiko replied, going back to his conversation with Ayumi and Genta.

"There you go," Joan said, getting up. "I'll join you. Let's search the car, shall we?"

* * *

"Four people," Conan murmured, standing at one end of the green car.

Joan watched the woman out of the group carefully, staring at her case, as Conan moved on from the gruff stock exchanger and onto her.

"What happened, child?" she asked gently, leaning over to listen. "Are you lost?"

"Nah," Conan said, looking around. "Ah! How cool! You've got a great view!" He cried, ducking under her newspaper and looking out the window to get closer to her case.

"Yeah!" She agreed, smiling at him. "Because of the weather today, Mt Fuji looks beautiful today."

"Eh? Mt Fuji?" Conan repeated.

"Yes! Do you like Mt Fuji, boy?" she asked good-naturedly.

"Yeah! I like it a lot!" Conan agreed, getting up onto the seat next to her. Joan watched as his hand trailed to the suitcase, and his brief frown as it refused to open.

"Shut UP!" cried the man in front, who Conan had run away from. "I told you to go away, didn't you understand?!"

"Hey!" Joan cried, distracting him before he got a chance to punch Conan. "Stop being mean to my friend!"

 _Seriously,_ Joan thought to herself, _What was Aoyama even thinking?!_

"Ma'am, have you been to the dining car?" Conan asked, taking advantage of the distraction as a waitress came by and began to scold the stock exchanger for being cruel to the children.

"Eh? Why?" she replied, curious.

"Because I saw a pretty lady with these men in black clothes." Conan explained. "She looked a lot like you!"

"Sorry, no I haven't," she apologized, lying through her teeth.

"How about you, mister?" Conan asked, prompting the man to start yelling at him.

"No, you dirty-" At that point, he was dragged away by the frustrated waitress, who also happened to be a mother of three.

Conan got away before it became any worse.

"No success so far, huh?" Joan asked, sending him a sympathetic look.

"No," Conan confirmed, as he walked up to the elderly man next.

"Excuse me!" he said, trying to get the man's attention.

"Conan, he's got ear plugs in," Joan said. "Let me." She walked up to him, stood undeniably in his line of sight, and began speaking sign language.

H-E-L-L-O S-I-R she signaled, smiling.

"Hello, little girl!" he replied. "What do you need?"

Have You B-E-E-N to the D-I-N-I-N-G C-A-R T-O-D-A-Y? she asked, hands moving slowly but surely as Conan watched.

"No, sorry," He replied, putting his ear plug back in.

"There you have it," she announced. "he hasn't."

"Huh," Conan said, thinking. "I ought to learn sign language."

"I'll teach you at some point," Joan decided. "But don't use it unless you have to."

They moved on.

"Whoah, this guy has gold glasses!" Conan awed.

"Talk about making a good impression," Joan muttered. "He looks dangerous. Be careful, Conan."

She watched as he approached and asked, "Sir, have you been to the-"

"What?" he said gruffly, removing his glasses and immediately intimidating Conan.

Joan watched as the man wiped the glasses off with a napkin from the dining car, and Conan swiftly became suspicious.

"Hold on," Joan whispered, tapping Conan's back as he struggled to come up with a way to check the case, which was in the overhead bin.

"What should I do?" Conan asked hopelessly. "I can't get to it."

"Watch this."

Joan walked through the luckily empty row in front of the man and did a balancing act on the tops of the chairs, putting a bag sneakily inside the overhead bin on top of the suitcase.

"Oi! What do you think you're doing, girl?!" he cried, grabbing her by the arm and tossing her onto the floor.

"Ah!" she cried. "The pendant! It was up there..."

He paused. "What pendant?"

"The one my grandma gave me," she whimpered, pretending to sniffle. "I can't reach it past that black suitcase..."

The man may have been gruff and tough, but it wasn't cool to leave a girl crying like that, so he picked it up and pulled out the bag behind it, moving down with both of them. As he handed the pouch back to her, Conan quickly checked the case, and found it open.

He quickly closed it again when a pair of briefs with 'LOVE' printed on them greeted him.

"Thank you sir! It's really precious to me!" Joan said, stalling for time as Conan backed away.

"No problem kid," he shot her a smile, beyond his dark outlook. He grabbed his case and put it back.

As they walked away, Conan sighed.

"None of them," he moaned, gripping his head. "Which one could it be?"

"Well," Joan shrugged. "I'd start with that whole 'trigger by themselves' thing. I wonder how they'd pull that off."

She grinned as Conan's mind-gears began turning.

"Ugh, but no one will believe a kid..." Conan murmured, groaning.

"Oh look," Joan said suddenly, looking out the window. "Look! It's the mountains!"

The Detective Boys came running, being city people, to see the sight of mountains flashing by.

Joan turned her head, and when she settled on Conan, awe on his face at his realization, she winked.

Just then, an announcement came on, warning passengers to use their cellular phone in the hallways instead of in their cars, as it could bother other passengers.

"Hurry," Joan warned. "You haven't got much time."

Conan nodded and ran as fast as he could.

* * *

The two of them arrived at the car as the woman dialed the phone number destined to explode her case and the rest of the train.

"NO!" Joan cried, as the woman pressed talk and held it to her ear. Conan didn't hesitate: he ran for the case, twisting the dial on his shoes, and kicked it with incredible force, knocking the door fully off its hinges.

A few deadly moments later, it exploded.

Joan sighed in relief and helped the breathless woman up to her feet.

"That should teach you not to mess with suspicious people," Joan scolded her, taking her phone. "I'm sure the police will give you a good talking to. Just be glad you weren't blasted to smithereens!"

"Who are you?!" she asked breathlessly, gulping deeply.

"I'm Edogawa Conan, a detective," Conan announced with a smirk.

"And I'm HV, his sidekick," Joan smiled. "or at least that's what I like to believe."

"Conan!" Ran called, picking him up by the neck collar. "What have you done this time?"

"I-I'm just an elementary school student!" Conan protested, acting childish again. "You gotta believe me, Ran-neechan!"

Joan merely laughed, all the way back to the Mouri Detective Agency.

* * *

A/N: I write too much.


	7. Ep 6 Valentine Murder Case

Joan opened her eyes as she woke up to the sight of her phone vibrating. Groaning, she searched through the darkness of the closet and picked it up, flipping it open.

" _Hi Joan Friend!"_ The message read, as she realized it was from Aoyama. " _I realize you probably need boost help in cases now. I"_

She paused.

Then, at two-thirty AM, she screamed, "YOU DID WHAT?!"

* * *

It took a whole lot of fibbing to convince Ran and Kogoro that she'd just had a particularly strange dream. She went back to bed a few hours later and woke up to the sound of silence, as she considered what Aoyama had done.

Opening her case, the gem he'd talked of was indeed there. A large snowflake Obsidian which was in the arranged pattern of a star. As she walked to the window, she held it up at the moon, and watched as the white parts filled in to become a deadly red, and slowly, ever so slowly, it began to drip.

"You have a strange sense of humour, Aoyama-sensei," she murmured, turning it slightly. She went over the rest of the message in her head.

" _I have made so that you is immortal! It only work in Detective Conan universe, so once you leave you is back to normal (friend say this), but for now you is completely unkillable! (is that word?) Good luck, enjoy undeath!"_

She sighed and went back to sleep.

* * *

Joan giggled to herself in the bushes as she listened to Sonoko Suzuki, Love Expert's spiel about how the muscular man they had met the other day was perfect for her.

 _Not like you can ruin a connection as close as Ran and Shinichi's,_ Joan thought to herself.

Just then, a car drove up, and said muscular man got out and waved. "Hi! Ran-san, I've been looking for you!"

"Good Timing!" Suzuki said in broken English. Joan noticed Ran visibly stiffen, and could almost see the unhappiness flowing off of her.

 _Poor girl._

"Ran-san, I came here because I have something important to tell you," he continued, as Joan spotted Conan across the street. She almost giggled, but held back with great effort.

 _Oh yeah, it's the 13th of February, isn't it?_

"I want to ask you out of a date!"

Joan sighed as she saw Conan's really, really bad attempt at hiding as he gasped in shock.

"There's a Valentine's Day party tomorrow!" he explained.

"Valentine's party?" Suzuki repeated.

"Yes!" he said, proceeding to explain the concept behind it.

"Will the guy from the other day be there?" Suzuki asked.

"Minagawa-san? Yes, of course, it's at his house!" he said.

The both of us will definitely come!" Sonoko decided on the spot.

"Oi, Sonoko!" Ran protested, to no avail.

"Thank you very much!" he announced, bowing, before he drove away.

Joan had already crossed the street and was right behind Conan when she touched his shoulder.

"AH!" He cried, jumping back. "Oh, it's just you, Joan. Don't scare me like that!"

"But it's funny," Joan protested, finally breaking into laughter.

"Oi, Conan!" Genta called from the street. "Help us advertise!"

"I think he's a bit too busy being embarrassed," Joan said, still giggling.

"Eh?" Ayumi peeked around the corner. "What did you do?"

"I guessed who he's giving marshmallows to on White Day~!" Joan said in a sing-song voice, making Conan blush furiously, regardless of the truth of the matter.

"Oh!" Ayumi cried, running over. "Who? Who?"

Conan gave Joan a death glare.

* * *

Joan watched as Ran made her chocolate, gently heating it on the stove.

"Is that chocolate?" Joan asked, sniffing the air.

"Yeah," Ran said, smiling. "It's Valentine's Day tomorrow, so..."

"Oh, I see," Joan smiled. "Who's the lucky one?"

"A very nice guy," Ran replied, stirring the pot. "He's a bit big-headed sometimes, but he's a kind-hearted guy."

"Oh! How nice!" Joan said. "I wish I had someone to give chocolate to."

"You don't?" Ran said, surprised. "Aren't there some nice guys in your class?"

"Eh," Joan shrugged. "I'd rather be a guy than date a guy."

"Oh, I see." Ran replied, smiling. She didn't seem to know what to think about that.

"Oi, Conan-kun? Are you going to stop hiding behind that wall now?" Joan called.

He fell over.

* * *

The next morning brought a new case.

"I'm off!" Ran announced to her father.

"While you're at it, go get a rich guy," Kogoro grumbled over the pages of today's paper.

"How weird," Ran murmured. "Joan's already left, and Conan isn't here either."

* * *

"Oi, Ran!" Sonoko called from below. "We're going to leave you behind!"

Joan giggled as Conan sneaked up to the old yellow car and made pitiful attempts to hijack it. After a few moments, she decided to help out.

Tapping his shoulder, she said, "Oi, Conan. Follow me."

Conan nodded dubiously, by now used to her helping out, and she lead him to a public wash room, where she went in and came out a seventeen-year-old.

"I wish I could do that," Conan murmured. "Would make some things a lot easier."

"Not smart, though," Joan said, taking him by the hand. "C'mon. Let's catch a taxi."

* * *

Conan was glad that Joan had been able to drive him to the place, seeming to know exactly where to go.

Either that or the taxi driver was a stalker.

"Come with me, and act in character," Joan said. "I'll pretend I found you wandering the city. Pretend you overheard where Ran was going and asked me to bring you here." Conan nodded reluctantly, and took her hand as they rang the bell.

"Huh? Were there more guests?" An older woman asked as she opened the door.

"Excuse me," Joan said in perfect English, hoping to lure Ran out. "is there a girl named Mouri Ran here?"

The woman blinked, then said, "Um, I'm sorry, I don't speak English..."

Conan jumped in. "I got lost and this nee-san said she would help me find my nee-chan!" Conan chirped. "Is Ran-neechan here?"

"Oh, yes, the nice girl who came here with Wakamatsu-san," she nodded, opening the door. "Do come in, you two."

"Thank you, miss," Joan said, stepping inside with Conan and waiting at the door. She watched as the woman called into the next room over, and Ran came running.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Ran said quickly, holding Conan by the shoulders. "I'm sorry, Conan... I didn't mean to worry you."

"I'm staying right here!" Conan announced. "I don't wanna loose Ran-neechan again!"

Ran sighed and tried to convince him otherwise until she realized she could use him to deter the advances of Wakamatsu. To Joan, she said, "Thank you. I'm sorry he imposed on you like this."

Joan tilted her head, and said, "It's not a problem. I'm happy to help."

As she turned to leave and watch from a distance, Minagawa looked around the corner, and seeing Joan, he approached.

"Who might this lovely lady be?" he inquired, trying his hardest to look appealing.

"My name is Jo-Anne Deverson," Joan said with almost perfect truth. "It's nice to meet you."

"Ah," he said, changing tone. Then, in seriously bad English, he continued, "Shall lady Jo-Anne come be join us?"

Jo-Anne snickered. "I don't see why not. Alright, I'll join you."

"Thanking you," he continued. "Come be join us room there."

Conan's eyebrow twitched.

There was a moment of silence, and then he said, "You come be join us no lady Jo-Anne?"

Then, in the hilarity of it all, she burst into laughter, and had to use the wall for support.

"Yo-your English," she managed, "your English is horrible!"

"Did he say something wrong, Jo-Anne-san?" Ran inquired. "It made perfect sense to me."

"Yes," Joan said, still giggling. "Yes, indeed."

* * *

As she sat down with the rest of them, Conan decided to sit between her and Ran.

She watched as slowly, Katsuhiko stopped trying to woo her and leaned towards being pushy and mean. She was almost glad that he was the one passing away instead of any of the others in the room.

"Oi, Neechan, play with me!" Susumu, the small younger brother of Katsuhiko, addressed Ran.

"Well, I..." Ran began, but Joan got up and smiled at him.

"What do you want to do?" She inquired. "We could play ball outside."

The boy blinked, then said, "I'm sorry neechan! I don't speak English! Are you going to play with me?"

"That's what she said," Ran translated. "she suggested you play ball outside."

"Okay!" he cried, leaping off the couch and grabbing a ball from somewhere. Together, they headed outside, though Joan could still hear the conversation inside.

"Entertain us!" a drunk Katsuhiko demanded, showing his cruel side. Naomichi, the decidedly shy and antisocial member of the group, kept refusing until finally Katsuhiko insulted him directly and stormed off.

"He isn't very nice, is he?" Ran whispered to Sonoko.

"That's how a man should be," Sonoko replied, still blinded by looks.

"How silly," Joan murmured, as she tossed the ball back and forth with Susumu.

"Ma'am, you speak Japanese?" the boy asked.

Joan giggled. "Yes, but don't tell them, okay?"

"Okay!" he agreed. "If you tell me what you were whispering just now!"

"I was just thinking that your brother's heart is not as pretty as his face," Joan said cryptically.

"Eh?"

"He's not as nice as his looks make him seem to be." Joan explained. "Listen. If you ever find a girl you like, treat her nicely, okay? Girls like nice people. Mean guys always end up unhappy."

"Okay," he decided. "I can do that!"

As she played, she saw Toshihide looking a bit more nervous than usual, his tough-guy look unused to the strangely nervous position he was in. She sighed, and as he went in to try and kiss Ran, she knocked on the door, distracting him.

Then, when Ran looked away, she held out two fingers, and slowly pointed them at her eyes and his multiple times.

 _I'm watching you, you clingy freak._

He gulped and stopped his advances. She almost felt bad for him, as she saw that most of the rest of the people around had seen their exchange.

She went back to her game with Susumu and suddenly had dread as she watched Katsuhiko become worse and worse, even insulting the muscular Toshihide to the point that she felt bad for him.

Just as the scene was escalating, Minagawa walked in, carrying cake with her, and set them all down on the table.

"Enjoy," she announced, as Toshihide forgot his rage and began wolfing it down.

Everyone was also poured coffee, and as the cake was spread around, Susumu gravitated to the door and found his way in, hoping to get some cake as well. Joan followed him, sitting down and accepting the coffee and cake, but eating neither.

"Neesan, is that good?" Susumu asked, as Joan drank her coffee. It was quite dark, but she didn't mind, until she realized what she was doing.

"Hot!" she cried, waving at her mouth. She immediately took a spoonful of cake, and the heat in her mouth calmed down.

 _It's poisoned!_

She watched as even Conan drank the coffee, but ignored the cake.

"Conan, do you not want any cake?" she asked in her English voice.

"Eh?" he raised his head and tilted it.

"It's very good," she continued. "it's not too sweet, just how you said you liked it."

Conan raised an eyebrow and slowly ate some cake, as he watched her carefully.

'you're acting like an adult,' she mouthed, carefully taking a bite of cake before continuing. 'be careful.'

He nodded and ate more cake, as Joan pulled Susumu away and offered him half of hers.

"You're not eating any cake, Katsuhiko?" One of the prettiest girls asked.

"Yeah," he replied gruffly. "I don't like sweet stuff."

He lit a cigarette, prompting her to continue, "Aren't you smoking a lot today?"

"Shut up!" he yelled, before stopping and holding his head in his hand. "Looks like I'm drowsy... I'll go outside for some fresh air."

Joan's eyes narrowed as he swore at the empty packet. She sneaked past the crowd and intercepted Naomichi.

"Don't even try it," she whispered, making him jump. "I'd rather not see a poor soul like yourself be sent away for one cigarette filter that Katsuhiko doesn't even use."

His eyes went wide as he sat back down.

"Eat your cake," she advised.

He ate.

"Unfortunately," she said as Yoshimi ran back, after following him out to see if he was okay, chocolate no longer in hand, "it seems fate has dealt with your problems."

"Kastuhiko!" she cried. "He's... he's..."

Joan got up and walked outside, seeing the dead body lying grimly on the ground, the face formerly alive with hatred now bearing a blank expression.

"Call the police and an ambulance!" Joan cried, as Conan ran outside. Katsuhiko's mother was already on the lawn, calling to him.

 _Even though she knows he's dead,_ Joan thought grimly. _How cruel can a woman be?_

Toshihide came up beside her and lifted her off the ground, helping her away from the body as Conan got a closer look.

"This is bad," Conan murmured. "He's already dead."

* * *

Megure checked his notes. "Katsuhiko passed away not long ago from poisoning." he paused and looked directly at the girl, who was sitting down sadly. "Watanabe Yoshimi-san, he died right after eating your chocolate, correct?"

"Yes."

Mouri Kogoro, who for some reason was here, sat thoughtfully.

"A common case," He murmured. "All will become clear when we test the chocolate for poison."

"I doubt it," Joan said, speaking in English. "Her feelings for him are clear. We have a smarter criminal on our hands."

"What?" He said, turning around. "What did she say?"

"I believe it was... Doubt it... Feelings... clear. Smart... criminal.. hands?" he tried.

Joan nodded. "Yes. We have a smarter criminal to catch."

"Catch?" he repeated. "Oh, yes. Capture. Right!" he paused. "Can anyone here speak English?"

"Oh, I can!" Conan cried, raising his hand.

"Are you sure?" Megure asked doubtfully.

"Yeah!"

"He is right," Joan said. "Conan can speak English."

Megure blinked, and read between the lines, taking her tone as confirmation. "Alright. What is your name, Miss...?"

"Jo-Anne Deverson, sir." she replied, bowing. "I brought Conan here when he got lost downtown. He said his 'neechan' was here."

Conan translated.

"I see. Tell us what you saw leading up to his death."

"Well," Joan said, unsure how to begin, "I came here about an hour or so ago, after the party had been going for a bit, and was invited in by the deceased and his mother, Minagawa." Minagawa tensed visibly. "I joined them in idle conversation until Susumu-kun asked me to play with him. As I watched from outside, Katsuhiko seemed to be in an unusually bad mood and was frequently rude to everyone." She nodded slowly. "Yes, especially the guys. But he was rude to most of the people he knew beforehand."

"Go on," Megure prompted once Conan had read out the spiel to him.

"The fighting stopped, for the most part, when Katsuhiko's mother came in with some cake and coffee."

"Tell us about the cake and coffee."

"I came in to eat after it was presented. The cake was incredibly sweet, but very tasty nonetheless," Joan began, "and the coffee was very dark, and burned my tongue, although I tried not to."

"I see, Megure nodded. "Do go on."

"Everyone except Susumu, as his mother did not permit him to, and Katsuhiko, as he does not like sweet things, from what I have heard, ate some cake. But everyone except Susumu drank the coffee." Her eyebrow twitched irritably.

"I see," Megure said vaguely.

They went around with questioning as Conan thought carefully about things.

"But how...? What could be poisoned...?" He murmured.

"It's quite obvious," Joan whispered, kneeling down. "I'm surprised you haven't gotten it yet."

"Huh?"

"Hello? Why do you think I made you eat cake, Conan?" Joan said seriously. "There are kids out there who don't like cake."

Conan's eyes went wide.

"Use your Stun-gun wristwatch," she suggested. "I'll get Mouri talking and have him stand somewhere convenient. You can use me as an excuse."

Conan nodded and ran to the other side of the room as Joan pulled Mouri off to the side to talk.

"Don't you think that cake is suspicious?" she said, as she saw Conan pull out his wristwatch.

As Kogoro formed an answer, there was a whizzing sound, and he fell backwards onto the chair.

Joan moved away slightly.

"Everyone! I've figured it out!" Conan cried in Kogoro's voice, using Joan's legs as convenient cover to get behind the chair. "I know the culprit!"

"Spit it out then, Mouri-kun!" Megure admonished.

"The criminal... is you, Minagawa-san!" he announced, to the shock of the older lady.

"How ridiculous!" She cried, holding a hand to her mouth.

"It is obvious to me now," Conan began, getting into the grove of deduction. "the coffee. The coffee was the poison, the cake the antidote. Katsuhiko is the only one who did not eat any cake."

"But the chocolate-!" she suggested desperately.

"You put it there!" he announced. "You were the first one at the crime scene, literal moments after Katsuhiko died. You faked incredible mourning and switched the chocolate that Yoshimi gave him with a half-eaten, poisoned one." He paused. "Now, Minagawa, have you not already cleaned the coffee cups? So quickly, too... unfortunately, Jo-Anne kept hers, to place in the kitchen later, as is custom for her household."

Joan held up her mug to show the group.

"Take it in for testing!" Megure cried, as an officer went up to her. She handed it off and listened as the deduction continued.

"There is proof of my statement as far as the chocolate as well," Conan announced. "is it not melting in your kimono, Minagawa?"

She looked down, to see a patch of brown stain where the chocolate had been stowed. The unnatural heat of that February had taken its toll.

"There is no use complaining, Minagawa," Joan said in her airy English. "I'm afraid that you were too desperate. This case, which is so painful to see, required the knowledge a mother has of her son. Indeed, you knew he would eat Yoshimi's chocolate. Because you knew he was in love."

"As Joan just said," Conan continued. "What she says is true. Your knowledge that your son was in love with Yoshimi, and would surely eat the chocolate she gave him, was something he would tell only his closest family. It's a sad thing to see."

Susumu walked in on the officers arresting his mother, and in her desperation she hugged him, before she was told to walk away.

"Where are they taking Mommy?" he asked Joan.

"Somewhere where she will learn from her mistakes," Joan whispered to him. "Good luck, young one. I'm afraid she's left you with a confusing life ahead."

Susumu blinked, grabbed the offered hand, and held it all the way to the police station. He wondered briefly what was happening, but Joan made sure he was safe all the way there.

"Good luck," she said, before walking away.

* * *

A/N; Chapters everywhere. I must watch more Detective Conan. I think I have an obsession. As I said, updating randomly and without warning.

Reviews are cool. I read them all. *hint hint wink wink*


	8. Ep 7 Monthly Gifted Threats

Joan followed Conan closely as her eyes darted around nervously.

"What's wrong, Joan?" Conan inquired as Ran picked out some cabbage.

"Grocery Stores," Joan hissed, "are you worst enemy. Especially the cashier. Please help me escape, Conan." She gripped his shoulder with enough force to crush a tin can.

"Is this some sort of traumatic fear of yours?" Conan sighed as he listened in on the conversation Ran was having with the Detective Boys. "Or is it an elaborate scheme that I don't know about?"

"I am legitimately afraid of Cashiers, and mannequins, and stores," Joan said, face adorned with a deep grimace. "I assure you. Now get me out of here, now."

"Calm down, we're nearly done buying stuff," Conan said, trying and failing to be at all soothing.

"You know Kudo Shinichi?!" Ayumi cried, excitement building. "That's so cool!"

"He's that great detective, isn't he?" Mitsuhiko agreed. "I wish I knew someone famous..."

"Oh, oh! Is he maybe your boyfriend?" Genta inquired, making her blush.

"N-nothing like that!" she cried. "We're just friends. Just. Friends."

"Sure you are," Joan interrupted Conan's protests. "Sure, you are..."

She glared at the cashier darkly as she walked past.

* * *

Joan was reading the latest volume of Kamen Yaiba when the doorbell rang. She vaguely recalled this case and got up, dashing over to open the door and immediately holding her hands in the air to deflect the toys that fell.

Conan wasn't so lucky, and ended up with a bump on his head. As Mouri looked up from his magazine, the man helped Conan up, and she saw his thoughts flash by as he noticed the nick on his hand.

As they all sat down, Joan sat in the corner, pretendig to read her book, and watched from far away.

"My name is Ogawa Masayuki. For two years now I've received toys and money every month. There was never a return address or name, so I got a bit freaked out." He looked down at the pile of toys on the table.

"I see. Do you have any children?" Kogoro inquired.

"Yes," Ogawa answered. "A 5-year-old son named Yuuta."

"Hm. How much do they send you?"

"1 Million yen a month," he announced. "And with all the previous times included, about 25 million overall."

The listeners gaped.

"Yuuta is glad that he gets toys every month," Ogawa continued, "but the money is so strange that I don't touch it."

Joan poked Kogoro to keep him on track.

"So you have no idea who's been sending these toys and this money?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Maybe it's from one of your patients?" Conan suggested, revealing his deduction indirectly. "You're a surgeon, right?"

"Yeah." he said disbelievingly.

"Then maybe it's from one of your patients!" Conan deduced.

There was a pause.

"Did I mention my occupation?" Ogawa asked.

"Huh?" Kogoro looked to Conan.

"How did you know, Conan-kun?" Ran inquired.

"He knew," Joan interrupted, "because of Ogawa-san's index fingers. The slanted marks on your index fingers are proof that you spend a lot of time holding thread tight as you operate on people." She paused. "I did some research on it a while ago when I was making friendship bracelets for my friends in America, since I didn't want to hurt my hands. I suppose Conan was spying on me."

Conan glanced at her and laughed nervously, sending her a thumbs up when they stopped paying attention to him.

"I got this today," Ogawa continued, handing a letter to Kogoro.

He opened it, revealing a stack of bills.

"It seems like there's nothing suspicious besides the money," he announced.

"No." Ogawa said. "The money usually comes in a bigger package along with the toys, but today was different."

Kogoro opened the letter inside at this statement, and Joan peeked over the couch to see what it said.

" _I have finished paying the 25 million yen,"_ it read, in clean and undefinable handwriting which was probably printed. " _In exchange, I will come and get it."_

"What does it mean?"

"I have no clue," Ogawa stated simply.

Kogoro began to investigate the letter until Conan asked, "How come there aren't any stripes on this box?"

"Stripes?" Kogoro repeated.

"Like on that box," Conan said, pointing to a juice box on Kogoro's desk.

Joan saw the thoughts flash through Kogoro's head as he realized that all of the boxes were completely rid of barcodes. Not a single one had the stripey identification.

"I've never seen any of these toys before," Conan continued. "It seems like some of them have scratches on them."

"They must have been sending you used toys along with the money!" Kogoro announced.

"Why would they do this?" Ogawa asked desperately.

"I don't know," Joan interrupted, as she realized Kogoro was about to make _another_ stupid deduction, "but I'd say that either A. they are thanking you and telling you who they are with their belongings, or B. They want to buy something from you." She shrugged. "I'd say B, from how that letter ran."

"You're right," Ogawa awed. "There's a valuable painting that has been displayed in my office for a long time. Maybe they want to buy that!"

"Why don't you check?" Joan suggested. "I'm sure Mouri-san would be very happy to help you check."

It was decided, and the group headed off for the hospital. However, before anything could happen, Joan slowed and fell back, before cutting off from the group completely. Finding a nearby public bath room, she decided to have some fun.

* * *

Conan was confused by how... coincidental... Joan's help could be.

Especially with the Valentine's case. She'd practically solved it for him.

And now, in this case, too. He realized that she'd broken away from them a while back and decided to ask when she got back.

As they entered the hospital, Kogoro and Ogawa discussed its large size compared to the one Ogawa said he'd worked at before, Conan noticed a woman walk over holding a pot of Morning Glory's.

"In this weather?" Kogoro inquired disbelievingly.

"It happens once a year, on this day," he replied. "For three years they've been sent."

"Hmm." He blinked. "flowers... maybe... you didn't do anything with a woman, did you?"

"Of course not!" He denied.

Conan pitched in. "Maybe you should check your records for something that happened today, three years ago!" he suggested.

"I can't let outsiders see the records," he admitted nervously.

"It'll be kept completely secret, I promise," Kogoro encouraged.

"Alright."

"Thank you."

Conan was about to walk away with the Morning Glory in hand when he felt a piercing stare.

* * *

 _I'm sure of it._

Ran frowned as Conan quickly followed the two older men towards the back room.

 _Conan's hiding something. And Joan is definitely covering for him._

She followed them slowly, considering the past few days.

 _In all of these cases either Joan or Conan have made an important contribution. And they keep disappearing whenever Dad starts to break down a case._

 _I hadn't had a chance to see Conan by himself often enough up until now, but this seals it. He's leading them to the answer._

She watched as they entered the room and Kogoro started going through the records. After finishing skimming through, the two men decided to head for the painting and take a look, but Conan stayed behind.

 _Alright, now's my chance._

She slowly inched her way back and reached for the door-handle.

But, before she could grab and turn it, another hand reached out and grabbed it, holding it closed.

"I'm sorry," she said, smiling at Ran. "We can't let people in there. We keep our records there." She looked to be the same age as Ran.

"A boy I'm taking care of walked in there," Ran explained.

"I'll check on him for you," she announced, opening the door and walking in, closing it behind her.

 _Darn! I missed my chance!_ Ran scolded herself as she huffed and waited outside impatiently.

* * *

"She suspects you, you know," Joan said, making Conan jump from the pages he was reading.

"Sorry," he apologized. "I got carried away."

"Not a problem." She picked up a small game handheld. "Do you think that whoever owned these would have their name on the toys? Something probably slipped by." She pushed the buttons and immediately allowed herself to die, and the game over screen showed her score.

"See? Look." She showed it to Conan, and his expression changed as he ran back to the stack of records and flipped to a specific page.

"Ogino Tomoya..." he murmured, as Joan stepped away.

"I'll leave you to it," she said, turning around. "Good luck. I'll deter Ran."

"Right."

* * *

"There's no one in there, Miss," Joan lied, apologizing. "I'm afraid that the only thing in that room is a pile of records."

Ran sighed. _Darn it! He escaped!_

 _Or... maybe..._

"You're certain?" Ran inquired, peeking in.

"Yes," she replied, standing directly in her way.

"We didn't find anything," Kogoro called as he came back down the hallway. "Where were you?"

"Uh, here," Ran said, distracted.

Joan motioned for Conan to leave, then left herself, closing the door.

"Wait!" Ogawa said, tapping her shoulder.

"Yes, sir?" Joan asked, tilting her head.

"Who are you?" he inquired. "I haven't seen you around before."

"I just transferred from another hospital," she explained. "I'm glad to meet you, sir, but I must get going. My little brother is still at school." she paused, then walked away.

"Ah," Ogawa realized. "I should check on Yuuta. Hopefully my wife picked him up..." He went for a nearby phone and called.

Ran watched as the suspicious woman walked away calmly. She looked back only to see Ogawa wearign a terrified expression.

"What?!" he cried. "What do you mean someone picked him up? Who was he?!" he growled and put down the phone.

"It shouldn't have been too long ago!" Conan cried, beginning to run. "Lead us to the kindergarten!"

"Right!" Ogawa agreed, running past him. After a few brief moments of hesitation, the rest of them followed.

* * *

 _I've got to hurry,_ Joan thought, as she turned a corner near the kindergarten. _If I'm too late, one of those miniscule changes might cause poor Yuuta to kick the bucket!_

She screeched to a stop as she saw the man handing Yuuta a toy. She growled and watched carefully.

"If Conan doesn't get here in the next five seconds, I swear..." Joan hissed, as she watched it get closer to the moment.

 _5..._

 _4..._

 _3..._

 _Oh, forget this._

She leaped off of the bridge and landed on the ground, a performance that would have broken her leg normally, and ran over.

"What do you think you're doing?!" she cried, getting the man's attention. In the panic, he drew the knife from his coat and pointed it at her.

"D-don't get a-any closer!" he proclaimed nervously, sweat glistening on his palms.

"Mister, what's wrong?" Yuuta asked innocently, seemingly unaware of the situation's gravity.

"Nothing, dear," Joan replied calmly. "Enjoy your toy. The mister and I need to talk for a bit."

"Okay!"

That out of the way, she turned to face him-

She felt the burning warmth of pain that sliced through her chest as she begged for it to be over. She grinned when the pain was merely a light buzz, and grabbed the handle of the weapon before swiping at his hand with her nails and managing to get him to release the weapon.

"B-but why?!" he cried, stepping backwards as she shook herself off.

"You chose the wrong day to commit a crime," she said simply, feeling the weapon in her breast. It was indeed bleeding, but her wound was already closing up beneath her dress, and she knew she'd have to dislodge the weapon soon.

"JO-ANNE!" She heard above her, as Conan leaped down and sent a roundhouse kick into the man, sending him flying.

"I'm fine," she announced in a thick English accent. "I'm fine."

"What happened?!" he asked, pulling out a handkerchief and pulling the knife out of her.

"I spotted that man here on my way home from work, and assumed the worst," she described, grabbing her side in an attempt to fake great struggle. "But I will be fine. Please, do have sympathy for that man. He is torn inside from the pain of losing his only son."

"YUUTA!" Ogawa cried, running over and hugging his son. "Yuuta."

"Dad?" he inquired, pushing away. "Who is that man?"

The man, getting up after the kick, rubbed his head and turned around. Seeing Joan, he rushed up to her, and began wrestling her for the weapon.

"Give it to me!" He yelled, using all his strength. "I need to show him! I need to show him how it feels to lose your son!"

"Calm yourself!" Jo-Anne argued. "This is pointless, Sir!"

"I... for Tomoya... I'm his father! I'm Ogino! He couldn't save him!" He cried. "All I had left were a pile of toys and insurance money!"

"All you have?!" Joan yelled back. "Ogino! Would you kill Tomoya?!"

He stopped fighting.

"Ogino, I can see you are in pain," Ogawa reasoned. "But please, spare Yuuta. He hasn't done anything wrong."

He stopped, and watched as Joan slowly fell to the ground dramatically.

 _It might be the only way to make him see..._

She paused, and lifting her head, she said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry your son couldn't be saved..."

In that moment, Ogino burst into tears.

"Oh what have I done?!" He cried, sniffling like a child. "What have I done..."

"Did she say something mean to you, mister?" Yuuta asked, walking up to him. "Thank you for the toy, by the way! I'll treasure it always!"

"No, boy," he explained between sniffles, "I was mean to her."

"Don't bother to call the police," Joan said clearly. "I forgive him. No one died, and so it shall remain as it was."

Ran blinked. Her limited English wasn't good enough to actually speak, but she knew vaguely what it meant.

"Alright," she decided. "We won't call them."

They were left to listen to the man mourn.

* * *

"Are you okay, Joan?" Conan asked, as they walked home from school the day after.

Joan nodded. "Yeah." she replied calmly.

"But you took a knife to your chest!" He cried, ignoring her statement.

"So what?" she snorted. "I'm stronger than that. A little scrape like that won't kill someone like me, Conan."

 _Not to mention I'm kind of immortal._

"If you say so- Who am I kidding?!" Conan yelled. "You're definitely. Not. OKAY!"

"What do you want me to do, go to the infirmary?" Joan joked.

"YES!" Conan cried. "Go there. Lie in a bed. And stay there. Understand?"

"Fine, fine, I'll humour you," Joan sighed. "But you owe me."

"Hi Conan-kun! Hi Jo-chan!" Mitsuhiko called, waving.

"I'll see you tonight," Joan said simply, sending Conan away.

"What happened?" Mitsuhiko asked, when they were in the clear. "What was that?"

"I got into a little scrape making sure things went right," Joan admitted. "But other than a knife wound I'm pretty good, actually. He just doesn't know that I'm all-powerful, so explaining a death-defying act is pretty difficult."

"Oh." Mitsuhiko said. "Yeah, the infirmary is probably a good idea."

* * *

A/N: Whee I can write!

I'm enjoying this way too much.


	9. Ep 8 - A Murder of Art

Joan blinked as the two men protested against Ran's suggestion.

"I've got to go do homework!" Conan announced, getting off the couch.

"I have to go get groceries," Kogoro fibbed.

Joan blinked as Ran advanced on her.

"Well?" she said menacingly. "You'll come with me to the art Museum, won't you, Joan-chan?"

"Only if Conan comes with me," Joan said. "It'll be boring otherwise."

"Well, you heard her, Conan!" Ran said confidently, turning around.

He was already down the street.

"Shall we catch a bus?" Joan suggested, as Ran punched the table, causing it to be crushed like a relatively strong tin can.

"Yes," Ran hissed. "And when I catch up with Conan I'll..."

"Don't finish that sentence," Joan advised. "He's probably so excited that he's going there beforehand."

"That better be right!" Ran raged.

 _Why did I get myself involved in this?_

 _Oh well._

* * *

Joan followed Ran closely as she awed at the different paintings.

"Ah! Look at those colours!" she cried, staring at a picture Joan thought looked like a lot of grey on top of a lot of black on top of more grey. She sighed and was about to agree until a man walked up to them and began to discuss it with them.

It turned out that he was the director of the building, and although it seemed like the place was empty, he valued it deeply nonetheless.

"I am Ochiai, the director," he introduced himself. "Please, do enjoy yourselves." his head snapped to see a man touching the border of a painting as he inspected it.

"Oh! Kubota, what are you doing?!" he cried. "I told you to always wear gloves when you touch the paintings!"

"Ah, I'm sorry!" he cried, staring at his hands dubiously.

"You've done enough here," Ochiai insisted. "Uh, Iijima-kun, please take care of this."

"Sure," The man said, getting up form his work. Kubota frowned visibly, but made no comment.

As Joan was headed away, she ran into something before she could move out of the way, and fell over backwards.

"Ow," she murmured, shaking herself and getting up again. She glared at the cream-suited man as he went by, ignoring her.

"Hmph. Sure is a lonesome place." He commented.

"Manaka, sir..." Ochiai murmured in response.

"This place will be shut down soon," Manaka said gruffly. "Until then, take care of it." He grinned in a cruel fashion. "This stuff practically has mold growing on it."

Ochiai looked honestly offended, but as Manaka and his assistant left to look at blueprints, he said nothing.

"This art gallery is going to be closed?" Ran inquired sadly.

"Yes," Ochiai nodded, stroking his grey beard idly. "The previous owner's company went bankrupt, and so he sold this place to Manaka."

Iijima growled. "There _was_ supposed to be an agreement between them, that Manaka would continue to run this place as it is - an art gallery," he moaned. "but the second he bought it, he began plans to turn it into a hotel."

Joan blinked and looked up as Kubota was left in Manaka's dirt, forced to endure the cruel behaviour. He threw a Knight's helmet on the ground in frustration.

Her memories of the case came back to her as she watched all of them separate.

 _Conan isn't even nearby this time!_ She thought desperately. _And he'd kill me - well, more than once, anyway - if I left Ran alone with criminals._

 _I guess I... oh, right! I'll ask Aoyama!_

She typed rapidly into the flip-phone, and thanked her lucky stars when her answer was near immediate.

 _"Do what Conan do!"_

She took her role in stride.

* * *

Travelling the different rooms while she knew someone would die was hard, but she convinced herself it was for the better. If she screwed up too much, she might not be able to predict the future evens any more.

As they walked past the 'Hell Room', she paused and shivered before carrying on, catching up with Ran to visit the sky room.

It was amazing what impact sculptures and pictures had on your nerves when you were trying to forget that, somewhere near you, someone was dying.

* * *

"Hey, look, that room isn't blocked off any more," Ran noticed, beginning to walk over.

Joan steeled herself and followed Ran inside.

Thankfully, it was dark, and Ran didn't notice Joan's frequent side glances as she checked the specific area she remembered.

"This painting seems really dark," Ran commented, as she looked at the scene's originator, 'Divine Punishment'. Its grim colours defined the edges of an incredible beast, struck to a wall with a sharp and threatening spear, A knight covered in blood walking away from it.

A few echoes of a dripping sound caused the two of them to turn around, Joan already prepared for the grim scene.

One shrill, loud scream echoed out in the room, as Ran laid her eyes on the dead body of Manaka, owner of the Art Museum, impaled with a sharp and deadly spear on the Hell Room wall.

* * *

"So," Megure said, checking his notepad. "What happened?"

Ran was still too shaken to speak, so Joan took the lead. "We found the scary dead mister here," she explained. "Ran-neechan and I were visiting at the time. I didn't let anybody touch him."

"Good work," he praised her. "You stay safely with Ran-san, okay?"

"Yessir!" Joan lied, saluting.

"Well then," he asked those present. "Did anyone see the criminal?"

"No, sir," Ochiai replied. "I checked with everyone."

"Maybe the cameras caught it," Joan suggested, pointing at the small black box hidden sneakily in the corner.

* * *

As the camera rolled back to the scene of the Knight's Armour, Joan watched carefully and quietly from farther off. Soon, the still-alive Manaka walked on-screen and checked his watch nervously.

Then, with the suddenness of lightning, the Knight burst to life, slicing down on Manaka's back and swiping him backwards towards the wall.

The Knight paused to stare at the screen before turning around and striking a flustered Manaka directly in the chest. She glared at the screen as the paper he was writing with fell from his hand, the empty pen still on screen.

"Just like that painting, Divine Punishment," Joan murmured, just loud enough to allow Megure to overhear her.

The scene was replayed several times, allowing Joan to figure out how to point out what she needed to.

"He's a rather daring criminal," Megure commented. "What if he was seen?"

"Now that I recall," Ran interrupted, "when Joan and I went by the first time, there was a 'no trespassing' sign blocking the way - I think it was 4:00. We only got here at this time because it was gone the second time we passed, at around 5:00."

It was, through a path of thinking, concluded that the criminal had to have been from the art gallery.

Joan replayed the video as Megure scanned the group of curators and workers that were at the art gallery, and paused it at just the right moment.

"Hey, look!" She said, pointing. "What is Manaka doing there?"

"Oh, Joan, don't touch that without permission!" Ran scolded her, picking her up by the waist and putting her down on the ground.

 _Bingo,_ Joan thought, ignoring Ran as she reprimanded her.

"Oh!" Megure cried. "He's writing on the paper! ... He threw the pen away! That paper has to still be in his hand!"

Megure dashed off with some of his officers to retrieve the paper, Joan considered. Following them into the Hell Room again, she let them be as they accused Kubota from the paper's contents.

Joan walked to the lonely Knight in the corner and stooped down to pick up the pen with a handkerchief.

"Megure-keibu, what is this?" Joan inquired, showing him the pen.

"Ah, the pen from the video," he realized. "Good job, kid."

"That's the pen that was made for the art gallery's 50th Anniversary," Ochiai explained, peeking over Megure's shoulder to see. "All employees would have one."

"So, someone left this behind?" Megure mused. He fiddled with the pen, allowing its tip to retract and extend multiple times. He quickly squiggled on a page of his notebook and checked it with the paper found in Manaka's hand.

"Yeah, they must have used this pen," Megure decided.

Joan's eyes narrowed as two officers came in, carrying some armor.

"We found it in Kubota's locker, sir!" One announced.

"You found it?" Megure asked, and was answered as they laid the bag down to reveal the bloodstained piece.

"How cruel," Joan said sadly. "That the murderer would soil such art."

"No, no, that's just a replica," Iijima protested. "It's used for props and such."

"The criminal must have really cared about art," Joan mentioned, "to use the replica instead, and to replicate the scene in the art." She blinked. "But then again, wasn't Kubota-san throwing the replica around before, and touching the paintings gloveless?"

"He doesn't care much for art," Iijima confirmed. "We've even caught him selling the paintings for cash, which is why Manaka was trying to extort money from him."

"That pushes the evidence even further," Megure said menacingly, prompting Kubota to panic.

"I didn't do it I swear!" He cried desperately. "This and that have nothing to do with each other!"

"We're so lucky that none of the art got damaged," Iijima commented.

"Yeah!" Joan agreed. "The murderer even went to the effort to take away the paintings beforehand!"

"That's true..." Megure murmured. "He did. I doubt Kubota would do that, from what I've heard..." He snorted. "No matter, all will be clear once we get to the station. Kubota, come with us."

Joan acted quickly. Looking at a painting with some complicated characters, she said loudly, "Mister Ochiai? I have to go home soon, but could you write this out in Katakana for me?"

"Of course, little one," He said, taking a notepad and automatically grabbing a pen from his coat.

Suddenly, he stopped, looking shocked.

"What's wrong, mister?" She asked, looking curious. "Does it not work? Why would you have a pen like that?"

Megure, still suspicious, followed up. "Wait a second, if I remember correctly... the pen that Manaka had was thrown across the room in panic after he'd written something down... it wouldn't have been closed." He _hm_ ed for a bit, wondering. "Why was it closed? Unless..."

"I wonder why Manaka looked so shocked when he saw the paper," Joan hinted. "I mean, it's just a tab from the painting. It would be blank, wouldn't it?"

"Unless it was written on beforehand, and the pen didn't work!" Megure decided. "You there, come over here and check this." one of the officers, holding a clipboard, allowed it to be used to hold down the evidence, and the side of Megure's pen was used to rub it down, revealing the message.

"Huh," he murmured. "there are markings. So, if Manaka didn't actually write anything..." Megure scowled. "... It must have been written by the murderer!"

Joan sighed as she saw Ochiai's shocked expression. It was sad, really, that such an elderly man was so cruel in his judgement and so blind to these things. It was as if his years loving art with such dedication had become an obsession.

"Then that means that the criminal must have brought attention to the tab," Megure concluded, "and had this pen set up there, out of ink, so that he couldn't erase the name!"

He quickly checked the pen Joan found, again, and was shocked to see that it did indeed work.

"Huh," he muttered.

"Uh, Megure-keibu?" Joan inquired. "Doesn't that mean that the criminal would have a pen that doesn't work?"

"That's true!" Megure said. "Alright, whose pens work?"

Unfortunately, that left only Ochiai.

"Well then," Megure said. "What's your alibi for 4:30, Director?"

There was a dead silence as the man hung his head.

"I was waiting," he said at last. "Waiting for that evil devil by hiding myself in that armor. The rest is just as you've said." Shock and unrest rippled through the employees like waves on the ocean.

"So by the coincidence of the camera capturing the scene," Megure began to conclude.

"No, it was no coincidence," Ochiai announced. "All of this... the camera placement, the tab, even the pen... it was all planned, and I practiced it many times."

"So the rumour about the armor moving at night was true," Ran whispered, dread in her voice.

"I did occasionally think it a foolish thing to do," Ochiai continued, thinking carefully. "but it was all to get rid of Manaka. That devil tried to take the art gallery that I think of as my own child, all for some money-making hotspot to be created." He turned to Kubota. "And I wanted to punish Kubota for selling the artwork behind our backs."

"Divine Punishment," Joan said quietly, so none could hear. "I see now why it is so. In killing the evil around you, you become evil yourself..."

"No matter the reason, I am a murderer," he mused. "a devil myself. It seems I cannot avoid the keen eyes of justice." He turned to Joan.

"You could read 'Divine Punishment', could you not?" he smiled. Joan turned slightly, and realized that the painting she'd chosen was indeed the said image, of a Devil being purged by a knight covered in bloodshed.

"Yes," Joan smiled back. "Thanks to you."

He blinked, then laughed, a sad, long laugh that echoed through the silent room like a sword piercing through the quiet.

* * *

BONUS PARAGRAPH

"Joan..." Conan said grumpily, hand on her shoulder. "You solved a case without me, didn't you?"

"Ah!" Ayumi cried. "You've gotta tell us all about it!"

"No fair!" Genta pitched in. "She gets all the spotlight!"

"They're right, you know," Conan grumbled. "What about me? I'd have it solved in no time..." He grinned wickedly. "Maybe I should exclude you from all future cases?"

"Not like you could make me," Joan shrugged. "I'd get there anyway."

"Not if I do this!" Genta cried, jumping forward and attempting to tickle her.

Instead, he found himself flat on the ground, Joan standing a meter away.

"Oi!" he tried again.

Same result.

"Are they going to do that forever?" Mitsuhiko asked Conan. "The sun's going down. We'll have to go home soon."

"Probably not," Conan shrugged. "Genta looks pretty tired."

Just then, Joan grabbed at the next attempt and swung him up in the air, before bringing him down gently.

"We'll call it a draw," she winked.

Genta gaped until he realized that everyone was leaving him behind.

* * *

A/N: Hi again!

I write stuff!

The snow day streak ended, so don't expect rapid updates. :/ I'm just doing this as I re-watch the anime. Time will tell if it ever gets finished.


	10. Ep 9 - Tenkaichi Festival Murder

Joan and Conan walked through the festival, watching closely as the reddish-orange glow of the festival vibrated with life. The characters 'Ten' and 'Ka' had already been shown, and even as they walked, Conan cried, "Look! Look!" And Ran turned around to see the last character, 'Ichi', light up the fake mountain in the heart of the festival grounds.

"Did you know, Conan," Ran commented, "that the Tenkaichi Festival lights the three characters representing the three mountains - Ten, Ka, and Ichi - to wish for good harvests for the year?"

"Like the Daimonji Bonfire ceremony in Kyoto?" Joan inquired, speaking Conan's mind. "Interesting."

"It's not half bad, to stay at an Inn and go to a festival," Mouri commented, glancing around at the different attractions with mild interest. Joan was equally interested, if only to get a taste of Japanese culture drawn from Aoyama himself.

"He's right," Joan agreed, acting like a child to help keep up an image. "This place is so pretty during the festival!"

"I'm glad!" Ran smiled. "You always seem so serious, but I guess all you needed was a chance to be, right?"

"Yeah!" Joan agreed, though behind the mask she was a bit disgruntled.

 _'Serious'? Geez. I'm not that depressing._

It helped, however, that she was gripping a very pink, very bunny-like balloon that Conan had pushed onto her at the nearest opportunity. Ran thought that this was very cute and had instantly taken a photo, and Joan made a mental note to have a copy for later... just in case she needed to bribe/blackmail Conan or the other Detective Boys.

Just then, she recalled where they were, and turned around automatically to see a man in a beige jacket run over to Ran.

"Ah, excuse me," he began, sweat dripping down his face, "Can you take a few pictures for me?"

"Yes, okay," Ran agreed, taking the instant camera from his hand.

"Can you take a picture of me with the 'Ichi' character in the background? Thank you."

"You ready?" Ran asked, eye in the viewfinder. "I'll take it now."

Joan blinked, then ran up to him, getting the balloon in the picture but only a bit.

"Mister?" she asked, pointing to the little yellow camera in Ran's hands. "What's that?"

"Oh, that's my camera," he explained. "It takes pictures."

"Cool!"

As she walked back and Ran agreed to take more pictures, Conan's eyes narrowed. He continued to stare as the man, Sasai Norikazu, chatted idly about his job as an author and his friend, a semi-famous author named Imatake Satoru.

"What's wrong, Conan-kun?" Joan inquired, still in her child-voice. "Is there something on my face?"

He blinked and looked away. A few moments later, Ran's phone made a shutter sound as she took a picture.

"Ahh! Ran-neechan, give that to me!" Conan cried, attempting to snatch away the phone.

"No!" Ran giggled. "I'm going to keep this forever! I'll send it to Shinichi, and Sonoko..." she giggled again as Conan gave up.

More seriously, he asked Joan, "Why did you interrupt that photo?"

"I'm suspicious," Joan admitted, hoping it would be enough for a detective brain like Kudo. "Why would he wear such a thick jacket in this weather? Why was he running before? Why does he want so many pictures, and why ask us?" she recited. "It's all very curious, and while it isn't exactly the best thing to suspect people, I'm nervous."

"Right," Conan nodded. "I was wondering about the jacket, too, actually, but..." He shrugged. "I'd like to think there isn't a case here."

"It seems you're out of luck," Joan said grimly, as Inspector Yokomizo tapped Sasai on the shoulder.

"I have something to ask you concerning Imatake Satoru," he stated, showing his police identification.

"Did something happen to him?" Sasai inquired.

"He was murdered." Yokomizo said simply, as Sasai faked absolute shock.

* * *

"The weapon was a gun," Yokomizo began. "Time of murder was about 8:00, perhaps a few minutes afterwards. The criminal is a man who ran from the scene not long ago."

Kogoro coughed. "I see."

"And who are you?" Yokomizo inquired.

"I am detective Mouri-" He was cut off.

"Oh! I read about you in the newspapers! You're that detective that's been making a sensation recently!" Yokomizo exclaimed. "No wonder I recognized you!"

 _Not like he solves the cases,_ Conan thought. _I do, for the most part..._ he paused.

Then, with a formidable frown, he stared at Joan, who was innocently poking her balloon.

 _She's always leading me to the solution, though. It's curious... sometimes, like with that treasure map, she's barely helpful until she's needed, but sometimes she sees everything in advance, as if..._

 _as if she's done it all before. Like she's holding a script and sticking to it._

He frowned. _Like today, when she interrupted that picture... what was that for, really? Did she seriously spot all those hints in such a short time?  
_

"What's this bubbly stuff on his cheek?" Joan asked, right at that moment, as Mouri investigated.

"Hey, that's right, this is toothpaste," Mouri murmured, sniffing it. "hmm..."

"He must of been pretty relaxed," Joan mentioned, "to brush his teeth up until the moment he was killed."

"So, an insider's job," Yokomizo muttered. "And that can only mean... Sasai!"

The man paused before saying calmly, "that's ridiculous, officer. I was at the festival. I even have pictures to prove it. Here," he said, handing the man the instant camera. "Develop these pictures and see."

* * *

The two older detectives stood around the table, observing the pictures around the table.

Conan wandered the room, glancing about while occasionally staring at Joan. He shook off the eerie feeling he was getting from her and kept looking around, listening in to the conversation over the table.

"I don't get it," Yokomizo groaned, shaking his head. "Which part of all this is the alibi?"

"Oh, here," Ran said, taking the picture with Joan's balloon in it. "This is the first one I took. The balloon is in it, too. We met Sasai as the 'Ichi' character was being lit."

"Hm." Yokomizo pondered. "Although that character is only lit past 8:40..." he frowned. "If you ran, you could get there in forty minutes."

Just then, Kogoro inquired, "How long is the first character lit from 8:00?"

"Only up to around 8:25, I think..." Yokomizo replied.

Kogoro silently showed them a picture that very clearly showed Sasai standing in front of the lit-up 'Ten' character.

There was a short discussion, and after a short while Joan started paying attention again as Kogoro asked, "How did you know that Sasai was at the festival, by the way?"

"Oh, the man at the front of the building remembered him. Apparently he kept asking for the time."

"Yes," Sasai agreed. "I lost my watch, and I didn't want to miss the start of the festival."

Joan tugged Conan's sleeve and pointed at Sasai's wrist, which was lighter in a ring around it, as if someone had been tanning with a wristwatch on.

His eyes narrowed, but just then, Ran took another picture.

"Ran-Neechan! Stop doing that!" Conan complained, trying to grab the phone she was holding.

"No!" she said firmly, before giggling uncontrollably.

They heard the sound of frantic steps as they came up the staircase, and a man's voice called, "Imatake Sensei!"

"His body's already been moved," Yokomizo disclosed to the panicked man. "Who are you?"

"I'm Yamada, from the Gekkan Bungei Jidai," he explained quickly. "I got a call from the police and immediately got here, but Imatake-Sensei is already..."

"Bungei Jidai is Imatake's..." Kogoro began.

"Yes, he was writing Kenyu Densetsu." Sasai interrupted. "Oh yes, I remember that Imatake said that his story was due soon, but that he hadn't finished it yet."

"But the deadline is tomorrow!" Yamada cried desperately. "This is terrible! Even if we ask someone now it won't be done on time and we can't just summon someone who can write like Imatake-sensei..."

"I guess it can't be helped," Sasai said benevolently, walking over to his suitcase and pulling out a pile of papers. "Here."

Yamada took it with a bewildered look on his face.

"Imatake was asking me to show it to him, so I brought it with me today," Sasai continued.

"Yes, the editorial department will definitely accept this," Yamada said gleefully. "Could you please consider writing for Bungei Jidai from now on?" he begged.

"I don't know, I have a job right now..." Sasai began. "But... sure, alright. For the late Imatake's sake."

Joan tugged Conan's sleeve noticeably as they watched the nervous man thank Sasai and run off with the Prologue of the novel. There was a mutual decision between them and they paused to think of what to do.

"I wonder why he wore that jacket the whole time," Joan murmured, as she checked the pictures on the table.

Conan laughed in an almost creepy manner before grinning at Joan.

"You know the answer already, don't you?" he inquired with a hint of annoyance. "Just tell me already."

"Alright," Joan grinned, "but I get to keep those pictures of us today."

Conan moaned internally as he ground 'okay' through clenched teeth.

Joan giggled. "Good luck, 'great detective'. You'll need it if you try to oppose me."

* * *

They had settled quickly on having Conan already prepped behind the chair they had planned Kogoro to land on. Joan hid in the corner and carefully aimed for Kogoro's neck, hoping honestly that she didn't mess it up.

She wanted the chance to do it once, though.

eyes narrowing she aligned the reticle and pushed the button, and in a split second the sleeping medicine got in and Kogoro stumbled back into a chair. She set him in a pose and organized the photos as Conan began to deduce his result. In a moment's notice, she decided to walk off to the side, where she could hold her balloon without interrupting the deduction.

"The man who shot Imatake-sensei was you, Sasai Norikazu!"

"Wait a moment!" he cried, annoyed. "You said yourself my alibi was perfect!"

"A simple bit of manipulation," Kogoro, in-the-newspapers detective, said, though it was actually Conan speaking through his bowtie, "to make you relax and forget yourself, to allow me to observe you in a weaker state of mind."

"From the second I saw the body I knew it had to be someone he knew, someone he was comfortable with."

"Your evidence?" Sasai inquired, still acting relaxed as he could, but clearly shaken. "How many times do I have to tell you? I have the pictures as my alibi."

"Imatake had toothpaste over his mouth," Conan continued, ignoring him. "Therefore, he was brushing his teeth when he was shot."

"So what?" Sasai shrugged. "That doesn't prove anything. Everyone brushes their teeth."

"True," Kogoro admitted, "but not many people would let in a stranger with a toothbrush in their mouth."

There was a silence where Sasai merely frowned.

"And another thing. The condition of this room," Conan continued in Kogoro's voice. "The criminal ran away right after the gun was fired. He wouldn't have time to mess up this room like this without Imatake noticing. It was messed up on purpose to make it look like a robbery."

"But I still have an alibi," Sasai announced, pointing at the pictures laid strategically in front of Kogoro.

"Taken legitimately," Conan confirmed. "A full year ago, at the previous festival, going undeveloped until today. A camera you have been saving for this occasion." he smirked in Joan's vision. "You even wore the same jacket to make sure that the pictures matched."

"Do you have any proof that the pictures were taken in the past?" he inquired, laughing nervously.

"There is proof," Conan continued.

"Oh! I see it!" Joan cried, hopping in and looking over the table. "Officer Yokomizo, look at this! Look at his wrists!"

Yokomizo dashed forwards and looked at them in order, checking each, and slowly came to a realization.

"Sasai!" he shouted, grabbing the man's wrist. "Do you have an explanation for the tanned wrist in the photo you used as your alibi?!"

"I lost detective," Sasai squeaked helplessly, causing Yokomizo to let go of him reluctantly.

"One year ago I was determined to kill Imatake," Sasai confessed, as Joan went to join Conan under the table. "in order to be the top writer in the world of literature."

He glared at the floor. "My work was supposed to be published by Bungei Jidai. But the editorial department switched to Imatake at the last moment," he seethed. "It was because Imatake was more well-known. To me, that novel was something I put my entire writing life into. But that... GUY took it away from me! He was practically ridiculing me!"

"So you killed him for that," Yokomizo reasoned.

"That's right," Sasai confirmed. "I killed him."

As Yokomizo lead him away, Sasai paused, and said, "Mouri Ran-san. That piece I showed you was one that Imatake and I worked on together when we wrote together. I guess no-one will believe me now..."

* * *

Joan pulled a Cheshire grin as Conan tried to get out of joining them in the arcade.

"C'mon Conan-kun!" Ayumi begged. "Please!"

"But..." Conan turned around and was faced with Joan.

"Uh..."

"Oh, Conan-kun, how rude!" She said evilly. "Don't you want to join us?" She pulled out her phone.

"Uh, uh yeah!" He said nervously, running inside.

"How did you do that, Joan?" Mitsuhiko asked curiously.

"Yeah!" Genta added. "He wouldn't even listen to me!"

Joan grinned. "It was... Sasai*."

She smiled at the inside joke and walked inside the arcade.

* * *

A/N: In Japanese, "Sasai' means 'trivial'. That was the joke.

I'm sorry for the long period of time between now and the last time I updated - I've been... busy. (Aka I don't want to admit that writer's block has me. BAD.)

This has officially become one of my least favourite cases. It took watching the episode at least ten times to get it right.


	11. Ep 10 - Soccer Kidnapping

Joan typed on her phone under the covers, the glow of the screen the only light in the lonely closet.

" _Hello Aoyama,"_ Joan tapped into the mini-keyboard, " _I'm a bit worried about something, and want to know if anything can be done about it."_

She paused, and a few moments later, a message popped up on her screen.

" _What is Joan friend worried about?"_

" _I'm worried that I can't go after criminals fast enough,"_ Joan typed, feeling glad he was around at that time. " _I can't keep up with the likes of Conan and Ran and such, and in a way I'm supposed to be protecting them."_

The loading icon appeared, telling her that Aoyama was typing, and she waited patiently.

" _Would you like a pair of wings?"_ He asked cryptically.

She grinned at the idea of flight. " _Yes,"_ She wrote back, " _If I can hide them easily, then yes."_

" _Done!"_ Aoyama typed after a thirty-minute wait in which she'd begun to play video games. _"Give new wings test, yes?"_

 _"Will do,"_ Joan typed back, before closing her phone and getting out of her closet. She stretched, felt a tingling in her back, and _pulled._

In the blink of an eye, two holes were ripped in her nightshirt as two _gigantic_ wings filled the room. She instantly retracted them, feeling them getting smaller by the second, and sighed in relief right before Conan burst into the room.

"Joan," he said breathlessly. "What happened? I heard something that sounded like ripping-"

"Yes!" Joan cried, hopping around gleefully. "Finally! Praise Aoyama, that was awesome!"

"Praise who?" Conan asked, blinking. "Joan, do you need a mental asylum?"

"Nope!" She grinned. "Just some airspace. C'mon, what do you say to a late-night trip?"

"Not really up to it..." Conan began.

"Tenkaichi Festival Photos," Joan said darkly.

"I'll go I'll go I'll go just don't share those anywhere!" He cried desperately.

"No problem." Joan grinned. "Go on, get dressed. I'm not changing with you in here."

* * *

Snow fell down that night as Joan glanced about and checked for the third time that day that her spaghetti-strap tee was in the right place. It would hold once she transformed, but she needed it to be good for during the transformation.

"What is this all in aid of?" Conan asked suspiciously. "You aren't going to turn on me, are you?"

"Nope!" Joan chirped, turning around. "I'm just explaining myself. So, you know how I seem to know everything from time to time?"

"Yeah, actually," Conan agreed. "I was going to ask."

"It's premonition," She replied. "like seeing the future, but only when someone's in danger. And it only works for one or two people, normally. You're one of those people. Ran is another. Kogoro, Mitsuhiko-kun... and even people we haven't met yet." She grinned. "It's instantaneous, so I do before I think. I'm sorry I scared you, if I did."

"Alright," Conan nodded. "I guess I can accept that. But... is there any proof?"

"Have you ever heard of a guardian angel?" Joan shot back.

"Yeah?" Conan replied, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm the guardian angel of you and your connections," she grinned. "It's lucky you didn't need me yet. I was pulled into physical-ness recently, and I'll be here until you achieve your goal. Simple as that." She turned around. "And now for that precious proof of yours."

She summoned the tingly feeling once more and grinned at the gasp of awe as Conan watched her grow two huge white wings.

"Can I touch them?" He asked carefully. "I want to check they're real."

"Go ahead!" Joan replied. "I haven't had a chance to test that yet, actually. What you heard half an hour ago was me ascending. I didn't have wings before."

Conan slowly traced his way down to the base of the wing, after which Joan giggled.

"That tickles," She laughed lightly. "Don't do that without permission, yeah?"

"Sure," Conan agreed, stepping back.

Joan flapped her wings gently and slowly lifted herself off the ground, before circling a bit.

"I'm going to go for a fly," she decided, turning to Conan. "I'll return before sunrise. I promise I'll be careful."

"Okay then," Conan agreed, smiling for once. "And... it's nice to know that someone is watching out for me. I'm not quite sure what to say, so... thanks."

"No problem," Joan smiled back. "And don't expect me to be this giddy all the time. This is just me being really happy."

"Okay," Conan confirmed, before running back home.

* * *

Joan stretched her wings out, settling on a gentle glide, as she spun quickly over an intersection and carefully flew over the buildings for cover from stargazers below. To be honest, she didn't think it was that hard to spot her; she was relying on the fact that people generally didn't look at the sky.

She didn't anticipate to see Jii Konosuke on one of the roofs.

Flipping back and gliding gently nearer on silent white wings, she creeped up to see what he was doing.

"Oh, Kuroba-sama..." he groaned. "If I cannot even find your son, then what use am I, your butler?" He sobbed. "Send me a sign. Send me a sign I can do this."

 _Well,_ Joan thought, grinning. _That's good timing._

She leaped into the air with a ferocious downbeat and sent winds through the elderly man, causing him to turn, and his eyes to widen as she flipped over to glide with her face to the sky. Deciding she'd gone far enough that Konosuke wouldn't see her face, she flipped over again and flew gently away into the distance, before twirling up a bit to see Konosuke staring at her with wide eyes.

"The gods have spoken!" He cried, almost delusional. "Sweet Angel! Please tell me what I must do!"

Joan gulped and floated down gently to him, being certain to swing her wings with enough power to make him step back and squeeze his eyes shut. She pulled them around herself to hide her face.

"Become the thief that flies through the night on silver wings," she ordered him. "Fly, Konosuke Jii, and the true thief will fly up to meet you. With the will to protect their family by your side, you will not fail."

She grinned and flapped upwards, ascending into the sky and flying away, as she heard the breathless thanks of the broken old man, lost without the one he dedicated his life towards.

 _Today was productive,_ She thought to herself, as she glided strategically towards home.

* * *

The morning came, and she stretched as she felt what was supposed to be the morning chill.

Then she sneezed.

"What's wrong, Joan?" Conan inquired, speaking with much more familiarity than before. "Are you alright?... can omnipotent beings get sick?"

"I'm not omnipotent, and yes, Angels can get sick," Joan replied, sneezing again. "Apologize to Mitsuhiko for me, okay? I think I spent too much time outside last night..."

"Sure," Conan agreed. He called out, "Ran-neechan! Joan-chan's got a cold!"

"Oh!" Ran cried, rushing forward. "Poor you! Here, I'll make you some tea. Any preference?"

"Do you have Jasmine?" Joan asked weakly.

Ran nodded and immediately went to work in the kitchen, ignoring the fact that she also had school today.

"I'll see you after school," Joan said quietly. "Bye, Conan."

"See you, Joan...-chan," Conan added, as he saw Ran's grin from the kitchen.

* * *

Akagi Ryoko stood nervously at the top of the stairs, her hand frequently hovering towards the bell only to hover back to her side again.

Joan walked down the steps at this time, and looking up to see her, something clicked.

"Can I help you?" Joan asked, still wearing her medical mask. "You're here to see Mouri Kogoro about a case, right?" She smiled. "I live here. I'm sure he has time to spare at the moment."

Without waiting for an answer, Joan opened the door for the most recent case as Conan trudged up the stairs.

As she allowed herself in, Joan calling out her business with them to Ran and Kogoro, she gave Conan a knowing look.

"Be careful," she warned. "My premonition senses are going off like crazy. I suspect you'll have a close call if you're not careful, so take me with you."

* * *

"You're lucky, I made some Jasmine for Joan this morning. She's caught a cold," Ran explained, giving the young teen a cup of tea in a very feminine cup.

"Thank you," she murmured, reaching out for it gently.

Joan watched from her room, pretending to be ill, the door of said room being conveniently open ( _Kudos_ to Conan), and Akagi Ryoko stated her case.

"I have someone I would like you to find," she explained sadly. "He suddenly disappeared and I don't know what to do." She reached into her schoolbag and offered it to Kogoro. "Here's his picture. We were dating-"

"Neesan," Joan interrupted, "Isn't that Shinichi Kudo? The super-detective?"

"EEEEEEEH?!" Ran screeched, snatching the image away. "Noooooo. It has to be a doppelganger..."

 _Oh geez,_ Conan thought, _If I hadn't known something crazy was going to happen I would have yelled like a banshee..._

Ran seethed quietly as the interrogation continued, mostly Kogoro probing Kyoko's fake relationship with Shinichi. Joan paced over to the phone and smiled as it rang the moment she got within reach.

She picked it up and said, "Mouri Detective Agency! How can I help you?"

"Ah, Joan-chan!" Agasa said jovially. "About the batteries on that invention of Conan's..."

"Yes, I know," Joan nodded to herself. "Thank you, Shinichi-niichan!"

"Wha-" She hung up.

"Was that Shinichi?!" Ran inquired seriously, still having some steam to blow off.

"Yes," Joan said calmly, walking towards her. "He said that he'd call her at her house, so she doesn't need to worry."

"S-Shinichi-san's going to see me, then?!" Akagi cried gleefully, standing up suddenly. "Thank goodness!"

Ran's eyebrow twitched irritably.

"Well then, I should join you on your way home," Ran decided for herself.

"Why?" Conan gulped.

"Because Shinichi might show up there," Ran reasoned, grinning fiercely. "and then I can catch him!" She yelled voicelessly in frustration and kicked out at thin air.

Akagi Ryoko shivered in fear for a moment.

"Of course, you can come with me," Akagi said, finally.

* * *

"This is my apartment," Ryoko lied, unlocking the door and allowing Ran to storm in. Joan hid behind Conan and sneezed politely, habitually covering her mouth.

"I must say, these medical masks are a good invention," Joan murmured into hers.

"You don't have them where you... come from?" Conan inquired awkwardly.

"No," Joan confirmed. "It mirrors America, in some ways."

They went inside 'Ryoko's' apartment. Joan made sure to point out the scratched keyhole to Conan, who frowned.

"I'm kind of glad I've got premonition on my side," Conan murmured. "This looks bigger than I imagined."

"I doubt Ryoko is going to be a problem," Joan soothed him. "She seems peaceful to my eyes."

"Good," Conan said. "I don't like fighting women, or anyone for that matter."

Joan paused as they were about to walk past the shoe-locker and snapped to the side before throwing it open, revealing an assortment of child's and men's shoes. Conan frowned even more and kept going, waiting patiently for Joan to keep up.

"Ryoko-neechan seems to be having trouble finding things," Joan murmured. "More evidence. I suggest you look around. I'll cover your absence."

"Thanks," Conan said honestly, before dashing off to look around the house as Ran tried to get Ryoko out of her daze.

* * *

Conan walked to the room that bore a simple wooden plaque with the name 'Mamoru' plastered upon it. Opening it, he stopped instantly and stayed that way for a few shocked seconds before collecting himself.

The room was utter chaos. Chairs had been toppled, objects of various descriptions lay scattered randomly, even the bookcase was on edge and the books in an incredible mound in the center of the room.

Conan stalked in carefully and chose to pick up a small photo lying on the floor. It showed a young boy and an older teen, presumably a high-school student, rubbing the younger's head playfully.

"So that's Mamoru..." Conan deduced, looking at the shirt the boy wore in the picture, a soccer outfit.

Conan's face flickered through emotions as he tried to figure out the identity of the high-schooler in the photo, feeling like he'd seen him before, until something clicked.

"Akagi... Akagi Hide!" Conan said quietly, grinning.

"Have you figured it out?" Joan asked from the doorway. "Please, come and see the soccer match on. There's something I need you to see."

Conan complied and walked in as Hide flashed onto the screen, the commentator explaining how today did not seem to be his day.

Conan blinked.

"Got it?" Joan inquired.

Conan nodded. "Um, listen... I need to talk to Ryoko as Shinichi-"

"Say no more," Joan grinned, borrowing Conan's bow-tie. "I can do this, trust me. I know my charges well enough to impersonate them."

"That's... spooky, but I guess natural," Conan decided. "Here. This too."

"Thank you," Joan said politely. "Cover me, okay? We can't have Ran knowing. I feel a bit eerie, but it's necessary."

"Right."

* * *

The phone rang on the desk, and Ryoko stood up instantly, before turning around and picking up as quickly as she could.

"Hello?" She asked desperately.

"Hello," Joan said gently through the voice-changing bow-tie. "It's Kudo Shinichi here. I presume I'm talking to Akagi Ryoko-san?"

"Yes!" She cried gleefully. "That's right."

"There was a kidnapping, right?" Joan inquired seriously, causing the voice on the other end to halt in its tracks.

"Akagi Mamoru, younger brother of Akagi Hide, who's been on TV recently," Joan continued, "was kidnapped. Is this correct?"

"Yes... I, uh, yes. That's right," Ryoko confirmed.

"He's making Hide play badly on purpose," Joan continued, "so you came to the Mouri Detective Agency to request help in finding me. It's unfortunate that I'm in Switzerland," Joan lied, "But I'll be sure to help as much as I can. I'm aware your real name isn't Akagi Ryoko, by the way."

"Yes, oh, thank you," Ryoko cried, breathing a deep sigh of relief. "What should I do?"

Just then, Ran grabbed the phone off of Ryoko and cried, "SHINICHI!"

"HUSH!" Joan called desperately. "I'm in Switzerland! It's One AM! I'm just trying to help!"

"Fat Chance," Ran seethed. "You up and went without a moment's notice-"

"-To save a group of refugees and do some other things that I can't disclose." Joan finished for her. "Just trust me, I need to be here. They need me here, no matter how much I just want to go home."

Ran sighed. "You better... you... you jerk!"

Just then, the TV roared up as the currently ominous sound of a goal being scored went up. Joan paused to allow the sound to come through, as the fax machine printed the message that nearly made Ryoko faint.

"SHINICHI! He's done it by accident! What do I do?!" Ryoko cried, grabbing the phone off of Ran.

"Go to Naoki's! He'll know what to do!" Joan cried. "I'll call back when I can, okay?!" With that, Joan ended the phone call quicker than she thought she could.

Leaping out of the bathroom, she signalled to Conan, who nodded and followed her. Ran, being Conan's temporary guardian, ran after him, and Ryoko had no choice but to follow.

* * *

"It's Ryoko!" Ryoko cried into the sound-sensor. "Please let me in, Naoki! It's an emergency!"

The door slid open slightly, and the aforementioned soccer player, sporting a nasty-looking cast around his right leg, looked out.

"Is Mamoru-kun here?" She asked desperately.

"Why would he be here?" Naoki asked, looking annoyed. "What happened to him?"

"Please, let us in!" Ryoko begged. "Please!"

"Look, my girlfriend's here... I don't want misunderstandings-" He began.

"Out of the way," Joan demanded, causing Ran's wind-up to stop mid-wind.

She breathed in deeply and dashed forward, smashing the door in completely.

"Well then," Ran murmured. "Great use I am..."

Conan dashed inside without a moment's hesitation, skillfully dodging Naoki's damaged leg and following Joan's trajectory inside.

"This way!" Joan motioned, opening the second door on the right and being greeted with quite a pleasant scene, for what Conan was expecting.

Mamoru turned around from his video-game and said, "Oh, hello! What're you doing here? Are you Naoki's friends?"

"Yeah!" Joan agreed readily, walking up next to him. "Naoki just scored a goal! We wanted to tell you guys, so we came over unexpected!"

"Really?!" Mamoru cried, grinning from ear to ear. "That's great! I'm sure he'll win for the Tokyo Spirits!"

Joan walked off to one side and dialled a number on her phone, before handing it off to Ryoko as she burst in.

"Tell him that Mamoru's safe," Joan requested. "We'll deal with Naoki. I think it's all just a big misunderstanding, so don't mention him until later, mm-kay?"

"Right," Ryoko agreed, before walking a short distance away to receive the call.

Naoki frowned. "It's always about Hideo, huh..."

"What's wrong, mister Naoki?" Joan inquired. "Oh! I bet you're sad 'cause you couldn't play in the game today! You and Hideo-niichan are best buds, after all," She reasoned.

"Nah, kid," Naoki said sadly. "I'm just being bitter, I guess. I made a big mistake. I was so sour that Hideo was always above me, no matter how hard I tried, that I did all this." He gestured with one crutch to Mamoru. "Please forgive me."

"I think the only one that has yet to forgive you, Naoki-niichan, is yourself," Joan grinned, pointing at the game being won, and Hide being dragged away by the press.

"Who would you like to dedicate this match to, Hide?!" One of the reporters cried.

"Ah, Well," Hide said, tossing a goofy smile, "I guess on any other day it would be Mamoru... but today? My ultimate friend and rival, Uemura Naoki." He turned to the camera. "Hurry up and come back, Naoki. I'll be waiting on the field."

"That idiot..." Naoki cried, as Joan watched tears fall.

"That genius," Joan smiled. "I think he knows, Naoki. Just forgive yourself and move on. After all," Joan winked, "there's someone waiting on the field, and the only thing you're doing is bringing yourself farther from it."

Naoki blinked, then without remorse, he cried.

* * *

"No way! You met Naoki?!" Mitsuhiko cried, grinning from ear to ear.

"Totally!" Joan smiled. "Look, I snapped some pictures while he wasn't paying attention. Want a few?"

"Yeah!" Mitsuhiko agreed, eyes lit aflame. "Please!"

Not far off, Joan saw Conan staring into the distance, as he expertly kicked about a soccer ball with one foot, over his head and down his back, up and around again.

"He's actually pretty good," Mitsuhiko mused. "I hope we get him on our team when the soccer unit rolls around."

Joan snickered.

"Oh, shoot," Mitsuhiko groaned.

Then he banged his head on a wall. Joan laughed.

"You've outdone me," she managed between giggles. "That was... my goal," she grinned, before falling over and rolling around in a fit of giggles.

"Is it really that funny?" Mitsuhiko groaned from his place hugging the wall.

Joan laughed some more.

* * *

A/N: And here ends the bliss of one-episode cases.  
I'm sorry about the horrible puns, but I'm afraid they'll keep coming. I can't help it.  
So yes, Joan now has wings. If anyone could possibly still not know, she's based on Joan d'arc. This will be the last of the special abilities I give her; the wings do indeed have a purpose, which will come to light later on as I start adding the movies in, etc etc.  
On that note, Movies. I'll add them in as bonus chapters according to the episode release dates, so expect Movie 1 to pop up between episodes 54 and 55 (as I recall). Look forward to it!  
(So much writing to do... so little time!)

PS. About this chapter... I can't help it, but my impure mind is over-active seeing the bromance signs in this episode. It makes me feel warm inside. :D But I'll be sure to maintain the romance from the TV series, so sorry, no more bromance other than what's already in the show.

Enjoy!


	12. Ep 11 - Moonlight Sonata Murder

Joan rested her upper body on the side of the boat, feeling the wind in her hair and the relaxing cooling quality that it offered in the hot summer day on the ocean.

She ignored the fact that Kogoro was grumbling about coming this far. She remembered this episode clearly and she didn't want it to go wrong.

Just then, she felt her phone vibrate, and she flipped it open with a slight glance to see what it was telling her. She looked more closely when the text message symbol popped up on the screen.

"Aoyama... I wonder what he needs," she mused, taking a look.

" _Hello Joan friend!"_ Aoyama's message ran. " _I is curious if you is already defeated Moonlight Sonata Murder Case! If no, then try rescue criminals from fire! I write it in for you and Conan."_

" _Will do,"_ Joan typed back, before shutting down her phone and going to enjoy the wind again.

"Who was that?" Conan asked, walking up next to her.

"Aoyama," Joan explained briefly, "He's one of the best I know at predicting the future. He's got incredible power over your... well. It's hard to explain, but the best way to look at it is tweaking the facts of an experiment to create a different outcome. Since your life is ongoing, he can tweak things - for example, this -" she showed him the Pandora Gem, the snowflake Obsidian she'd gotten randomly from Aoyama once -"into your life. I'm working with him to make sure things go without a hitch - he can see a whole lot more than brief warning flashes."

"He must be pretty powerful," Conan commented. "Is he like a god, or...?"

"He's more modest, actually," Joan admitted. "Nothing like what you'd imagine. In a way, Dr. Agasa reminds me of him, but he still has black hair."

"Huh," Conan mused. "Gods are like that..."

"Gods is probably not the right term," Joan smiled. "I don't believe I'm allowed to explain. Sorry."

"That's fine," Conan decided, smiling. "You're already a great help. What did he say?"

"Good news," Joan smiled sadly, "and bad news. Bad news is that, due to timeline maintenance, he can't eliminate the trial we're about to face. Lots of Murder here. But there are some that can be saved."

"Good," Conan decided. "I don't like being forced to watch people die."

"If it had gone on as it was," Joan admitted, "You would have. That person will probably end up saving your life, actually. Be careful."

"I will be." he looked at his shoes. "This isn't the first time I had a chance to save someone and couldn't manage it. I'm not letting it happen again."

"Remember that I'm here for you," Joan warned. "If it's needed, I'll go in there and work on it with you. Just make sure you're safe. It's you, above all, who needs to be safe. Sorry, Angel instincts kicking in, I'll be quiet now."

Conan laughed as they docked on the small island.

* * *

Tsukikage island was a small place that was filled with fog most days, and today was not a verifiable exception. Joan followed Conan inside an office where they attempted to find a man, their client, whose name was Asou Keiji.

She didn't bother to pay attention - she knew already that they wouldn't find him in the book. She reached for her ears and covered them the moment the elderly manager began yelling.

"ASOU KEIJI?!" He cried, his face contorting into one of horror. "That can't be! He died years ago in a fire!"

"What?!" Kogoro yelled, becoming frustrated.

* * *

Calming down, the man continued grimly, "This island was his hometown. He became a famous concert pianist, but twelve years ago on the night of a full moon, he held a concert in city hall. Afterwards, he suddenly locked himself and his family in his house, and started a huge fire."

"I guess he was pretty _fired up_ about something, yeah?" Joan whispered, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

Conan whacked her over the head before it could get worse.

"He stabbed his wife and daughter and began playing among the flames," he said fearfully, "as if he were possessed. People say he played the 'Moonlight Sonata' over and over on his piano, right up until he died."

* * *

"So this was a prank..." Kogoro groaned, glaring at the letter, written with assortments of characters cut out from a newspaper.

"Not necessarily," Conan said, legs swaying as he sat on the rocks outside city hall. "The fee has been paid, and the postmark is from this island. I'm sure someone wants you to investigate Asou Keiji."

"That's right," Ran commented. "They said the mayor was his friend."

Kogoro considered. "You're right. They said that the mayor would be in city hall right now, right?"

* * *

Joan swerved off to one side towards a school as they walked along, trying to find the city hall. She ran up and tugged on a girl's skirt.

"Mister?" She asked in her youthful voice, "Where's city hall?"

For a brief moment the woman looked shocked beyond belief, but then she smiled and replied, "I'm a 'miss', dearie. Turn at that corner, then go straight until the T-junction..." she continued to list out the instructions. "Say, little one, are you from Tokyo?"

"Yeah!" Joan chirped, pointing to Kogoro as he walked over with Ran and Conan. "I'm visiting with the Oji-san and Ran-neechan!"

"She's right," Ran interrupted, taking charge. "We came by boat not long ago."

"Cool! I'm from Tokyo, too!" She smiled brightly, kindness in her eyes. "I like this island a lot, though. It's so calm and quiet!"

At just that moment, a large truck chugged by, two sound-dishes on its roof calling out, 'VOTE SHIMIZU MASATO!'

There was a stunned silence.

"Well, the mayoral elections make a difference," she said with a nervous laugh. "That was Shimizu, who has the support of the fishermen here. There's also Kuroiwa-san, the current Mayor, who's popularity is waning, and Kawashima-san, the wealthiest man on the island." She paused to think, frowning.

"We're here for other reasons," Ran explained gently. "And you are...?"

"Asai Narumi. I'm a physician," she explained, smiling at them. "If you go to city hall now, I think you can see them."

"Thanks!" Conan said, grinning.

* * *

It seemed that a funeral was being celebrated - that of the former mayor - but it wasn't convenient that the elections were also going on. Many people were outside protesting about one thing or another, and it all looked very idiotic and barbaric form a distance.

They were lead inside by a medium-height man who looked far too stressed.

"Gum, mister?" Joan inquired, offering him a piece. "You look stressed."

"Thank you," he said, taking it and placing it in his pocket. "I'll have it later. I appreciate it."

He opened the door carefully and called out, "Sir, there's someone here to see you!"

"Who is it at a time like this?" He grumbled, turning his attention away.

"He says he's a detective from Tokyo," Kazuaki explained, letting in Kogoro and Ran.

"I'm Mouri Kogoro, here on an... interesting case," he announced to the three candidates in the room.

* * *

Conan snuck into the room carefully, peeking in at the lone piano and walking in cautiously. He came up to the window and briefly looked outside, before walking back and pausing in front of the piano.

"Don't touch it," Joan warned. "It's a bad idea."

"Joan!" Conan cried, letting out a deep breath. "You scared me."

"Sorry," she apologized idly. "But it is my duty to protect you. Just keep me nearby unless I say otherwise."

"Right." Conan kept investigating, but Kogoro, Ran and Kazuaki burst in not long afterwards.

"Please don't touch that piano!" He begged. "That's the piano that... that... that Asou-san used during his last concert!" he cried fearfully. "It's cursed!"

"Cursed?" Kogoro inquired doubtfully.

"Yes! It wasn't just Asou-san!" he cried, voice getting louder. "It was the old mayor, too!"

"Kameyama? Isn't he the one they're having the funeral service for today?"

"Yes," Kazuaki confirmed. "It happened on a night two years ago today, also on a full moon. I was walking by city hall, and although it would have been closed already, and I heard music coming from inside. I called out to see if someone was there, but I didn't get an answer.

"Kameyama-san was on the piano, his heart stopped, and the song I heard... it was the same one Asou-san had played in his burning house," he proclaimed breathlessly. "Moonlight Sonata."

Joan's eyes narrowed.

"Since then it's been thought that the piano is cursed," Kazuaki continued fearfully.

"I don't see anything wrong with it," Joan said, stepping forward and poking a few notes.

"AH! Don't do that!" He cried, ushering them out of the room. "Just- please wait for the service to be over, okay?"

As they walked out, Joan turned the wrong way to meet Narumi's eyes.

"Oh, you're all still here?" She inquired good-naturedly, smiling down at her.

"You're attending the funeral?" Ran inquired curiously.

"Yes," Narumi confirmed. "when I first came to this island, the late Kameyama-san was my first patient. This is the least I can do." She paused, then pointing to the man next to her, she explained, "This is Shimizu-san. We met along the way."

"I'm Shimizu, nice to meet you," he greeted them jovially.

"Nice to meet you to," Joan smiled, before they parted ways.

* * *

Conan was concerned.

As they had left, Joan had begged him to be careful, and he didn't like the sound of that at all. At the moment, all they could hear was the slow, methodical sound of the ceremony, but it all ended abruptly.

The slow but flowing notes of a piano struck the night and caused the mourners to turn their heads, as the full moon above rode high to the sound of the Moonlight Sonata.

"No!" Conan cried, getting up and running for the city hall, as Joan immediately jumped after him, matching his pace.

They slid in unnoticed as even the guards wondered what was happening, and the two thrust the door open together.

There lay Kawashima, richest man on the island, his head upon the piano and the piano playing by itself. A trail of water lead up to his seat as he sat, eyes and face contorted in shock, set in steel as obvious signs of death set into his features.

"I'm too late!" Conan cried, cringing.

"There's not much you could have done," Joan comforted him. "Please, don't blame yourself. Just solve the murder."

Kogoro stepped forward and checked his pulse, before grimly announcing that he was indeed dead.

"What did you say?!" Kuroiwa cried, as his daughter behind him looked on in equal shock and fear.

"Ran, hurry and report this to the police station," Kogoro requested, and she nodded before running off. "Narumi-sensei, please do an examination."

She complied, stepping forward and checking the dead man.

 _So the letter was prediction that people would start dying again on Tsukikage Island!_ Conan thought, beating himself up internally.

"It's the curse!" Kazuaki cried fearfully. "It's-"

"Mister?" Joan inquired, gripping his hand solidly. "Are you okay? Here, have some more gum and calm down."

He took it with shaking hands and began to chew slowly, his violent shaking going down to a simple shiver.

Kogoro grunted disapproval as he lifted the tape recorder from behind the piano. He announced gruffly, "The music is coming from this tape recorder. I suspect this is a murder case."

Turning off the music and turning to the crowd, he announced, "I am Mouri Kogoro, a detective. I'm officially starting work on this case, so please co-operate."

Off to the side, Joan sniffed the water. "Seawater," she murmured, looking out to the sea.

* * *

"Time of death was probably between 30 minutes to an hour ago," Narumi announced. "It was probably a quick death, and my educated guess for his cause of death is drowning."

"He was drowned?" Kogoro repeated, a bit confused.

"I can't speculate any more without an autopsy," Narumi admitted.

"I'm pretty sure Narumi-san is right," Conan said, pointing out the window.

"Isn't that his jacket?" Joan completed for him, standing on her tippy-toes to see the wet clothing left on the beach.

Conan continued, "The water trail leads from the door to Kawashima's body."

"Plus," Joan added, "There's sand and grit on his back!"

"All the doors are locked," Conan said, testing one, "and there's a few minutes of silence before the music on the player starts."

"When did they..." Kogoro murmured nervously.

"It's most likely," Conan reasoned, "that the criminal had led Kawashima-san outdoors, drowned him, then dragged him back inside and set the player going, locked the doors and windows, and left." He felt a tap on his shoulder, and added, "Isn't that right, Mouri-sensei?"

"Ahem, uh, yes! That's right!" Kogoro agreed, laughing nervously. "If this door was locked, and we were sitting by the front entrance, it's very likely that the criminal returned to his seat at the funeral."

"Are you saying the criminal is still here?!" Kuroiwa's daughter cried accusingly, glaring around the room.

"That's right! The killer is still among us!" Kogoro announced, turning on the crowd. "Did anyone see Kawashima leave his seat during the ceremony?"

"Yes, he said he was going to the bathroom," Kuroiwa replied, eyebrows furrowed.

"Did anyone else leave their seat?" Kogoro inquired.

"Hmph!" a man, Shuichi Murasawa as Joan remembered, huffed to one side. "Do you think we could remember every time someone got up?"

"Well then, is there anyone who could have a grudge against Kawashima-san?"

"Shimizu might have reason to," Kuroiwa announced, stepping forward. "since he's running for mayor, it would be useful to eliminate the competition."

"Oi! That applies to you as much as it does to me!"

"Oi, oi, calm down, the lot of you," Kogoro tried desperately.

"More importantly," Conan interrupted, "why did the killer bring the body back here?"

"They probably wanted to blame the curse of the piano, of course!" Kogoro said gruffly, shaking his head. "By the way, how long has this piano been here?"

"It's been here since Asou-san donated it 15 years ago," Kazuaki said, having earlier abandoned Joan's gum.

"Ah, Asou-san did..." Kogoro mused.

"Yes. His name should be inscribed on the front."

Kogoro went to look, but took a stunned step back before pulling out a sheet of piano music, which left Kuroiwa shivering.

"Sheet music," he announced, looking at it more closely. "Odd, this wasn't here this afternoon."

"AHHHH!" Screamed one of the men, before running off into the night.

"Who was that?" Kogoro asked.

Kazuaki rose to speak. "That was Nishimoto-san. He made a lot of money and spent it on women, gambling and drinking. But when the former mayor died two years ago, he's always been terrified, and he seldom leaves his house. I believe he's a childhood friend of the mayor's."

Ran rushed in, dragging an elderly man by the arm. "I brought the policeman!" She announced, gasping for breath along with the elderly man, whose grey moustache was pushed by each of his heavy breaths.

"You're late, Ran!" Kogoro grumbled.

"He wasn't in the police station! I ran around everywhere looking for him!" She protested, sending the man forward.

"Let's see, who called me?" he asked, his voice shaky with age.

"This man," Kazuaki replied, pointing to Kogoro. "Mouri Kogoro."

"Ah!" he cried, running forward. "You're that famous-"

Mouri looked hopeful.

"Astronaut!"

* * *

As Kogoro and the policeman shooed away the crowd, Joan slowly stepped backwards.

"Sorry, Conan," she murmured, so none could hear. "I need to check something..."

As she ran, she read the recent message she'd received from Aoyama.

" _Joan friend! You revive people use Pandora Gem!"_ It read. " _Use on victims of MS murder and take to beach of mainland!"_

She closed her phone and reached for the snowflake obsidian rock in her pocket. Grabbing it, she walked into the room where the man lay dead and talked to the officer packing up the body.

"Mister?" She asked, looking at him sweetly. "Are you packing up mister Kawashima?"

"Yes," he replied. "Head home, okay?"

"But the mister outside said that someone else is packing up the body," She said, tilting her head.

"really?" he inquired, stopping his actions. "Alright. Go home, okay? I'm headed home as well."

"Okay!" She replied, and she stood until he was out of view. Turning back, she summoned forth her wings and carefully thought out what to say as she held the rock to the moon and collected a few of the blood-red 'tears'.

"I swear this thing is seriously freaky," she muttered, before taking away the rock and opening the bottle she'd collected the tears in ever so slightly. She stood over his head, and very carefully tipped a single drop onto him.

It flooded instantly through his body, rippling over him like waves on a lake, and then he lay still. She put the rock and small bottle away and waited.

A few moments later, his eyes flickered open, and he was greeted by the judging eyes of what he thought was an angel.

"You were dead. Good job, idiot." she said bluntly.

"What?" he stuttered, looking at his hands. "Huh?"

"It's not your time," She continued, reaching out to him. "You've been given a second chance, Kawashima Hideo. Make the most of it and use your time to make up for your sins." She grabbed his hand and pulled him up. "Come with me. I will fly you to the mainland, where you must start a new life and prove to the ones above that you can be good and kind."

He nodded dumbly, and a few minutes later she was circling a roof in Tokyo.

She dropped him off and said, "Good luck, Kawashima Hideo. Go forth in life with a new goal - to prove that there is something worthwhile in your heart."

She flew back much faster and managed to get back in time to clean up before going to the room and waiting outside the door.

"Joan!" He cried, screeching to a halt in front of her. "Where did you go?"

"Places," she said vaguely. "Kawashima's been moved, by the way. So has the sheet music, although I don't know who moved them."

"Ah, this is going to make the investigation a lot harder," Kogoro moaned, as Conan checked to verify Joan's statement.

"I took the music," the officer stated, pulling it out of his shirt. "Sorry."

Ran stepped forward and commented, "This is the sheet music for the Moonlight Sonata!"

Joan walked off to the piano and began playing, reaching far to hit each note, and prompted Kogoro to run forward.

"What are you doing?!" he inquired angrily.

"The fourth bar sounds strange!" Joan proclaimed, stopping her playing.

"The fourth bar?" Conan repeated curiously, looking over at her.

"Maybe it's a dying message," Kogoro theorized. "If so, then the killer might come back to get it."

Just then, Joan opened the door, and a slightly shocked Narumi blinked before saying gently, "I brought supper."

* * *

Joan had already pinched the page with the music on it before Narumi had a chance. She watched carefully as the discussion went on peacefully. Then, as discussion followed to the particulars of the case of the former mayor's death, Joan sneaked away carefully and stood next to the window as Narumi pointed to it.

The shadow at the window ran off hurriedly, and Joan opened the window to let Conan through, and stepping back as Kogoro followed clumsily.

"Narumi-neechan?" Joan inquired, tilting her head for effect.

"Yes?" Narumi replied, kneeling down to hear better.

Joan pulled gently at the sheet of music, then said at barely a whisper, "This says, 'the hellfire of hatred made you pay', doesn't it?"

Narumi stopped, bearing an incredibly shocked expression for a few ghastly moments.

"That's what Mouri-sensei told me, anyway!" Joan said cheerfully, smiling once more. "Do you know what that means?"

"I'm not sure," Narumi lied, calming down. "I'm sorry."

The two men returned, both aggravated.

"Here, Mister Mouri! Your paper! You dropped it on the way out the window!" Joan explained, handing it to him.

"Ah," He murmured, grabbing it. "Thanks, kid."

Looking around, he decided, "Let's stick around overnight."

* * *

The morning came quickly, and Joan stood outside City Hall, waiting to speak with Megure.

"Ah, Joan-chan," he said jovially, kneeling down to greet her. "How are you?"

"Good," Joan replied, smiling back. "The rest are asleep. Here, have some evidence for the case. The body isn't accessible anymore, so don't ask." She paused. "We got an autopsy. The woman sleeping inside the room of the murder, Narumi Asai-san, studied the body before it was moved away by some authorities."

"Right," Megure agreed, handing off the paper to a nearby officer. "We'll take the reigns from here on out. Just relax."

"Glad to hear it," Joan replied, feeling that he would actually be quite useless.

At least he wasn't _quite_ as incompetent as Kogoro usually was.

* * *

Joan paused as they stood in the waiting room, Narumi having just gotten up to use the restroom as people waited to be interrogated. Conan's eyes narrowed as they followed Nishimoto around the room.

"Get up," Joan said suddenly, as he walked off somewhere. "We've got investigating to do."

The two of them ran off, and headed for the bathrooms.

Shimizu was in there washing his hands, and looked up to see the two children looking around through the door.

"Was Nishimoto here?" Conan inquired.

"No," Shimizu replied.

"This way!" Joan cried, storming up the stairs furiously.

Then the second Movement of the Moonlight Sonata began to play.

She spun around to see Nishimoto lying, shocked, on the floor, supported by a sole hand. Joan supported his neck and back, looking in on the grim scene.

There lay Kuroiwa, dead and gone, in the broadcasting room, in the same position as Kawashima had been over the board. Joan ignored the desperate cry of his daughter - it was unlikely that he would see her again after she revived him, but there was no point being sad about someone who would be revived.

"Someone call the forensic examiner!" Someone cried.

"We sent him back!" Megure snapped. "Since the body's already been moved away!"

Narumi stepped forward. "I.. if I'm needed, I can do an Autopsy, officer."

"Right." Megure nodded, giving her the go-ahead.

"The number of suspects goes down." Joan murmured grimly.

* * *

Megure returned from confirming the guard positions as Joan listened in on Narumi's calculations.

"He's only been dead a few minutes," she explained, wiping sweat off her forehead.

"This tape has 5 minutes and 30 seconds of silence," Megure mused. "We can assume that the murder happened not long before the music started.

"Inspector, I found something underneath the victim," an officer called, showing the musical score drawn on the floor.

"Musical Notes?" Joan said, looking at the score. "Looks like a message from the murderer to me."

Kogoro balled his fist.

Joan kneeled down and poked the edge of the blood-written message. A few moments later, she was grabbed by the collar and thrown away.

"You're in the way!" Kogoro scolded.

Conan ran up to her. "May I see your hand for a moment?" he inquired seriously.

"Sure," Joan agreed, showing the hand with the blood-marks.

Conan stopped after a moment to listen to the briefing.

* * *

"I believe the murder here is the same person," Megure announced. "The murderer must also be one of the people here! That is why we've surrounded the building, to make sure that we find the criminal."

As he hopped from point to point in his thought process, angering or riling up each suspect in turn, Joan peeked over Conan's shoulder and looked at the paper he was holding, which showed the notes written in the victim's blood.

There was a stunned silence as she announced, "You realize it, don't you? You're next."

"That's what the notes say when you decode them," Joan said, pointing. "Look. My mother and I used to do this for fun, sending messages with notes. It's easy if you know how."

"What if we do that with the notes from the other message?" Conan asked her.

"Hmm," Joan thought. "Probably... 'the hellfire of hatred has made you pay'."

She quietly smiled as Narumi visibly tensed.

"That must be the guy who suicide 12 years ago by fire," Kogoro theorized.

Joan sighed in relief and stopped paying attention, instead focusing on the murdered man as Conan followed a panicked Police officer out the door. She stepped inside the room again and glanced about, promised to revive Kuroiwa later, and walked out again to wait outside.

* * *

It wasn't that hard to stay after all the others had gone home. Kogoro assumed she'd followed Conan, and Ran had gone to retrieve him, so she sneaked in not long afterwards.

She summoned her wings again and dripped a single drop of the red tears from the day before onto the dead man. He experienced the same sensations as the man before him, looking up and blinking at her.

"Follow me," she said simply, before leading him outside.

"You have been given a second chance to redeem yourself for your sins," she explained, turning to face him. "Prove that there is kindness and good in your heart. Allow me to take you to the mainland, and start over. A new life begins here and now, Kuroiwa."

She carried the shocked man to the mainland and managed to get back to city hall just as the shadowy figure flashed past her.

"What happened?!" She cried, once more acting childish. "Go back! What if-"

The third Movement began to play.

* * *

Nishimoto was very clearly dead, and as Conan dictated the fake suicide note, surrounding the truth around the legal actions of each of the men, she considered a time to revive him. He'd probably be harder than the last two - thankfully, no-one had remembered the body that was supposed to be in the broadcasting room.

"I don't think he suicided," Conan admitted, looking at the currently dead man. "How did he hang himself without a chair or something? And why would he write his note in code?"

He turned. "Plus, I saw some suspicious people in the piano room. One of them was Mister Murasawa - Narumi-neesan is tending to him right now."

* * *

Joan watched as Conan, now thinking hard about the case.

"Look over there, at Hirata," She pointed, as he asked to leave in order to buy some juice.

Conan's mind went through the right steps, and the two children went outside.

* * *

Outside, she smiled as Conan got the facts together that he needed. She walked away after a moment, confident he could deal with the case, and went to revive Nishimoto.

She got up to the top of the room, cut the rope, and decided to carry him back still dead. She snuck out and flew with great effort back to Tokyo, and revived him on the roof of a secluded building.

"You've been given another chance," She announced grandly. "Go. Live. Redeem yourself, and someday return as someone worthy of heaven."

* * *

Joan stood outside the room with Conan, and said, "allow me. I can cover your absence."

"Thanks," Conan said sincerely, before beginning to deduce the code.

"I've figured it out, Inspector!" Conan cried through the broadcaster with the voice of Kogoro, not-actually-knocked-out-today detective.

"First, the person who hit Murasawa-san in the piano room." Conan said, as Joan carried in a now actually-passed-out Kogoro and dropping him casually on the seat. "That would be Hirata-san."

The man gulped and looked fearfully at the speaker.

"The bandage on his left hand," Conan continued, "is the result of smashing the window when he was trying to escape. The person we chased outside the window last night was you as well."

"But what was he doing here?" Megure inquired.

Joan heard the sentence through the messenger she was holding, picked up in the room itself, so that they could continue.

"He was doing business with Kawashima in that room... Dealing drugs." Conan announced grimly.

"Drugs?!" Megure cried.

"Using the piano as a hiding place, he hid drugs he got from overseas. He exchanged them for large sums of money and many other things, using the hidden compartment."

"I see!" The police officer cried suddenly. "That's why they would always go to the City Hall at night!"

Conan paused to catch his breath and continued, "The reason why he was always talking about the cursed piano is that he wanted to keep everyone in town away from the piano, where he kept his drugs. He hit Murasawa-san because Murasawa saw the drugs that he had left in there earlier."

"So you wanted to end your connection to Kawashima by killing him!" Megure cried.

"No!" Conan announced in Kogoro's voice. "He is not the criminal in the murders. If he was, he would not have chosen the piano as the crime scene, because it was likely to reveal his drug-dealing background."

"Next is Murasawa-san," Conan continued, "Who is also not the criminal."

Joan could almost see the exasperated look on Megure's face.

"The reason the killer didn't put a chair or seat at the feet of the third victim, Nishimoto-san, was because he didn't have any time to - he also had to escape. If he did that, he wouldn't have time to go into the piano room. We can deduce that the killer is probably a male, because these murders require a lot of physical strength. On top of that, they don't have alibis."

Megure looked pointedly at Shimizu.

"When we investigated the second murder, Kuroiwa's," he continued, "we found he'd only been dead for a few minutes. But please recall: when Joan tried to rub off a bit of the message, it didn't rub off on her hand or smear at all. It takes human blood 25-30 minutes minimum to dry. That blood was already quite dry even though he only died a few minutes before. The trick the killer used involves the time of death of the victims."

"But there was only 5 minutes and 30 seconds of silent tape!" Megure cried.

"He used the reverse side," Conan explained. "After letting it play on the blank side for 30 minutes, it would flip over, and five minutes after that it would play the music."

"Look at the pictures," Conan continued. "In the first picture, there is a red light near the body's shoulder. In the next one, however, it's gone, after the body is being moved. While the police weren't looking, the killer turned off the light."

There was a silence.

"The only person who could go near the bodies and distort the time of death was the person who did the examination... Doctor Narumi."

She stared hard at the ground, her face locked into an expression of shock.

"The purpose of drowning Kawashima-san was to send the examiner back to Tokyo." Conan continued. "It worked anyway - Megure assumed there would be no more murders. Therefore, only she could do the autopsy. The tape was used to make us think that we could use it to determine the time of death. Therefore, it was setup for the second murder," Conan concluded.

"And so, she created her own alibi for the murder of Kuroiwa, helping exempt her from the other murders as well."

"But Mouri-kun!" Megure protested. "You said earlier that the criminal was a man!"

Conan went on without replying directly. "The motive lies in the death of a man 12 years ago..."

"Oi..." Megure grumbled.

"...when Asou Keiji, the pianist, and his family were murdered."

"Murdered?!" Megure cried, not dealing well with the rapid-fire reveals.

"Kawashima, Kuroiwa, Nishimoto, and the former mayor, Kameyama." Conan listed out. "The four of them used their colleague's international concerts as a front for an international drug trade. But Asou-san stated that he would no longer co-operate. Afraid that their secret would be revealed, they locked his family into the house and set it on fire. This is all written in the sheet music left in the safe, using the same code as was used today. This was his confession to his son."

"His son?" Megure repeated, his voice expressing his disbelief.

"He had a son who was hospitalized in Tokyo," Conan continued. "A son named Seiji."

"Seiji?" Ran cried. "You mean...?!"

"Dr. Narumi's real name is Seiji," Conan explained. "And she is Asou's son."

"It can't be!" Ran protested, to no avail.

"Asai is probably the surname of the family that adopted him," Conan theorized.

"Keibu! The suspect is gone!" An officer cried, as a cold wind rushed into the room.

Joan ran off with Conan. She had a life to save.

* * *

The city hall blazed brightly as the former suspects and the officers stood outside, fearfully watching on.

"It's done, father," Asou Seiji murmured, hitting the last note in tune with the music from the player.

"It's not!" Conan cried, bursting through the door. "Here, look!"

Joan dashed forwards and handed the lost soul the sheets of music Conan had handed her.

"It says that he wanted you to survive," Conan announced sadly. "Hurry, you still have time!"

"I wish I had known that earlier," Seiji replied, dropping his feminine voice.

"You haven't read it before?" Conan inquired doubtfully. "Then how did you know the truth about your father?!"

"I've always felt it was unnatural," Seiji replied, looking around wistfully. "After graduating, I came here under the guise of a female doctor. My name pronunciation wasn't ever specified anywhere," he explained. "When I told Kameyama I was Asou's son, he was so terrified that he told me everything. Then he had a heart attack and fell over." He turned to the window sadly. "To calm his spirit, I played the Moonlight Sonata my father had loved so. Just like I did this time."

He suddenly buckled and began coughing, and the two younger detectives rushed forwards to support him.

"Seiji, hurry! We can still get out of here!" Conan cried desperately.

"You have it in you!" Joan added hopefully, tugging at his sleeve gently.

"It's too late," Seiji announced, lifting Conan up. "My hands, like theirs, are already tainted with blood."

Then, with a powerful shove, he threw Conan out of the window.

Joan smiled sadly.

"You too, Joan-chan," Seiji began, taking a few steps forwards and holding his hands out to grab her.

Joan summoned forth her wings, brushing away the smoke with a single flap, and smiled.

"Do not give up," she told him. "You have another chance. Believe me, as I stand before you, that you have a chance at redemption."

She grabbed his outstretched hands and lifted him off the ground, bursting through the window and flipping up onto the roof. Then, carrying him further, she dropped him off at the beach at the outer rim of the island. She flapped a few times to shake away the ashes that were on her wings and smiled at the stunned criminal.

"Try again," She told him. "You've been given and extra life, Seiji Asou, and I expect you to do something with it."

Then, turning her back, she launched herself into the sky and flew away.

* * *

She landed not too far away on the other side of the island, being careful not to be noticed. With a gentle touchdown she retracted her wings and inspected her torn shirt.

"Well, that'll teach me to go in unprepared," she murmured, stalking back to the City Hall, which was being put out.

"Joan-chan!" Ran cried, dashing forwards and lifting her off the ground. "Are you okay?"

"The mister saved me!" Joan replied cheerfully. "He's over at the beach now."

"Oh, thank goodness," Ran sighed her relief.

Then they were surrounded by policemen who made sure they were safe, and it was finally time to go home.

* * *

BONUS PARAGRAPH

On the boat home, Joan carefully nursed her 'wounds' - she'd actually just had Conan wrap her arm in cloth and claim it was broken, but it was enough.

Over at the other side of the ship, Seiji stared out at the sea, Ran standing next to him.

"Will you be okay?" She inquired, touching his shoulder in concern.

"I'm fine," he replied, brushing her off. "I... need to redeem myself for what I've done. I need to serve my time... and get back into my practice so that I can save lives. I need to do more good, so that I can outweigh how horrible I was." He laughed sadly. "In a way I was hoping your Dad would be able to stop me... I knew what I was doing was horrible, but I was blindsided by the crimes they'd committed."

"You're already on your way though!" Conan cried, running up next to him. "You saved Joan-chan and I!"

Joan smiled at him. "Yeah!" She chirped.

Seiji blinked.

"I... yeah. I guess I did do that," he said quietly.

He walked away slowly, trying not to be rude, and stood at the other end of the boat next to Joan.

"T-thank you," he managed gently. "I... I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Just promise me you'll spend the remainder of your time working towards a better you, mm-kay?" Joan encouraged.

"Right," he stuttered, gulping deeply. "I... I don't deserve this... thank you."

"Here," Joan said, passing him a small piece of paper. "My phone number. If you ever want to, just call. I might even have opportunities for you to help out occasionally," Joan suggested.

"Thank you," Seiji said once more, accepting the note gratefully. He held it close to him and smiled ever so slightly.

"Good luck," she told him, taking a step back. "I'm here to help, as long as I'm still here on this earth." she promised.

He went to say thank you once more, but she was already conversing with Conan, the detective who'd figured out this whole mess.

 _Maybe he's also redeeming himself,_ Seiji considered, watching as the two laughed and talked like old friends. He smiled gently.

 _I want to be like him someday._

* * *

A/N: FINALLY IT'S OVER!

Longest chapter in Darkford history is COMPLETE! How did you like the Moonlight Sonata Murder? Did it meet your expectations, and was it worth the wait?

I didn't realize what I was getting into when I started writing this, but with three days of solid effort it's finally done. Enjoy!

Also, yes, I revived everybody. I don't know how often this will be used, but I have at least one more super-secret character I want to revive and use as an ally. It's different, but that's the point. I'm AU'ing this universe episode by episode.

Any characters you want revived? Any specific things you'd like to see? Say so!

I'll catcha all later, folks! Darkford is off!

(to sleep.)

PS. To my guest viewer, thanks for following me this far! This chappie's dedicated to you. (currently, you're using the name Tsuki.) Thanks for the support!


	13. Ep 12 - Ayumi was kidnapped!

"There's no such thing as a perfect crime," Conan announced, smirking as he stared unerringly at a garbage can which had a suspiciously large body in it. Joan even heard Genta gulp as he kept hiding. "Your signature is definitely visible here. You've overlooked three details."

"First, the fact that cans are scattered in an unnatural manner suggests something went into the recycling bin in a hurry." Conan explained, pointing to the pile of rubbish that Joan was kicking at distastefully.

"Second," Conan continued, "the ice cream you were eating until a minute ago is lying nearby. You probably dropped it in the rush to hide." Even in the sun of the early afternoon, the ice cream was melting off of the cardboard stick, and Joan resisted the urge to face-palm as she predicted Conan's final point.

"And finally, the most glaring point," Conan finished, "Is that I can see you hiding in the garbage can. Good luck next time." Joan sighed and lifted Genta out of the garbage by the collar, dropping him and beginning to put back the piles of cans displaced by Genta's enormous volume, especially for a child.

"Man, you show off way too much!" Genta complained, getting to his feet. "Conan's super-smart, Joan's super strong, when do I get to show off my skills?"

"Ayumi, I found Genta too," Conan declared into their brand-new radio-transceiver badges. Joan smiled amicably at her own, feeling happy that she also got one. She may not have been on par with the Japanese Modern Holmes himself, but being part of the Detective Boys was enough to make her mystery-loving heart sing.

"What, already?" Ayumi inquired through the transceiver. "Geez. Whenever you're it, hide-and-seek ends in a matter of moments."

"These badges sure are cool though, aren't they?" Mitsuhiko said positively, inspecting his proudly.

"Totally!" Joan agreed, holding hers up to the light. "I've never had anything cool as this before!"

"The Detective Boys," Mitsuhiko read, grinning like a loon.

"We're the only kids in the world who have badges like this, right?" Genta asked.

"Yeah!" Conan exclaimed. "Professor Agasa made them specifically for us!"

"Right!" Genta cried excitedly. "This time, I'm the detective and you guys are the criminals!"

"And no cheating this time, Joan!" Mitsuhiko scolded. "If you try to hide in the girl's bathroom again, I swear I'll..."

"Yeah, yeah, tie me to a tree and hit me with a kipper, I got it," Joan muttered in brief English. "I won't. Why would I try that trick again?"

Mitsuhiko grumbled but said nothing.

"Alright, everybody hide!" Genta cried, turning to hide is face in a tree.

Joan dashed off at an incredible speed, leaving everyone in her dust.

 _Having the strength of an adult and the body of a child... this is kind of disproportionate, but whatever._

She creeped into the girls' restroom again and considered what to do this time.

 _Hmm..._

 _Oh wait.  
_

She pulled her teenage clothes out of her backpack and briefly considered it.

 _Yeah. I can quickly grab the car that's still in Shinichi's driveway, it isn't that far from here._

She shivered and went through the transformation, coming out a teenager, and hurried for Shinichi's house.

* * *

Conan nearly jumped out of his seat next to the elderly man as Genta cried, "You're great at seeking, but you suck at hiding!"

"Geez, Genta, give me a break..." Conan muttered.

"He's right, you know," Joan's voice crackled over the mini-transceiver. "You really suck at being subtle."

"Shut up, you," Conan grumbled, though his tone was amicable.

* * *

"Where to hide, where to hide..." Ayumi murmured, looking around briefly. Her eyes settled on a slightly open car trunk, and she smiled.

"No one will find me here!" She exclaimed quietly, opening it with some effort and hopping inside.

* * *

"Geez," Conan grumbled, messing with his Skateboard. "How long does this take again? She's just a kid..."

"She's not just anyone," Mitsuhiko retorted. "Ayumi is special."

"Huh?" Conan inquired.

"No, nothing," Mitsuhiko exclaimed hurriedly. "it's nothing."

"Oh really," Joan's voice said over the transceiver, making Mitsuhiko jump. "I figured you'd go after someone else. After all, you'd want someone with a similar mental side, right? Someone with the same interests and hobbies."

"Eh?" Mitsuhiko inquired oddly. "But she's perfect. I mean, she's really cute, and she's got such a great personality..." he lowered his voice to a whisper, until his voice was merely a jumble of mixed emotions.

"Don't jump the gun," Joan advised. "Seriously, isn't she your first crush? This isn't the movies, Mitsuhiko. It doesn't happen this way." She paused. "Anyway, she's focused her attentions on Mr. Dense-as-a-brick, so you may as well either give up or be ready to wait for a long time."

"True," Mitsuhiko admitted.

"What?" Conan repeated, lost. "What's all this about? Who's 'Mr Dense as a brick'?"

"You," Joan said with a hint of exasperation. "You hopeless-romantic. Don't think I'm not aware of where your affections lie, either."

"Hey, it's not... uh, well, uh It's really there's no-one like..." Conan went on, never actually completing the sentence before Genta began to get worried.

* * *

"We haven't found either of them!" Genta moaned, kicking a pebble irritably.

"Why don't you call? We've got to go home soon!" Conan said hurriedly.

"No!" Genta protested. "I can't let myself look bad in front of Ayumi!"

"Geez, you too?" Joan grumbled over the transceiver. "You guys are hopeless. Look, what if she's in danger? I'm sure she'd be far more flattered if you were worried about her safety more than you were worried about impressing her."

"Right!" Genta cried, turning the dial accordingly.

There was a brief few seconds where they called constantly into the machine, waiting impatiently for an answer.

"Is she not answering?" Joan inquired. "Maybe she fell asleep? Try raising the volume or something."

"Ayumi-chan? Ayumi-chan!" Conan yelled, getting a murmured reply.

"Conan-kun?" She said after a moment.

"Yeah, where are you?" He asked hurriedly.

She was silent for a few moments.

"I don't know. Somewhere dark and cramped." She announced. "Why am I here?"

"Hey, what's that sound?" Joan inquired, overriding the transceiver briefly. "It sounds like a car!"

"Oh yeah!" Ayumi realized. "I hid in the trunk of a car parked outside the park!"

"Silly!" Joan scolded. "You're probably still in there, on the road! Look, I'm on my way. Dictate what you can about your location to Conan, I'll figure it out as I go along."

Joan blipped off the communication channel, and the chase began.

* * *

Joan cringed as she heard the troubling conversation go onwards. The exchange, to all other than her, sounded grim, especially when Ayumi found the 'dead person's head'. She knew it was just a pile of props for a play, but it was awkward to listen to.

She winced at Ayumi's incredible scream.

"Calm down!" Joan scolded, causing Ayumi's cry to fall down to a fearful whimper. "Don't worry, we're with you. Keep the Badge's communication channel open, we'll come and rescue you."

"Joan... Conan-kun..." Ayumi murmured, gulping deeply and fighting back tears. They heard gentle footsteps, but then a nearby Rollercoaster made the save, and the drivers assumed it to be that and went back.

"Ayumi," Joan instructed. "Think of something funny. Something that made you laugh, okay?"

There was a silence, then a series of short chirping noises that developed into a burst of laughter.

"Eh?" Conan said audibly.

"R-remember b-b-before when Genta bumped his h-h-head on the s-stairs, Ahahaha..." She breathed in. "he had two bumps on his head and he l-looked like a b-bear?! Ahahahaha..."

"Well, there, problem solved," Joan announced. "Now, Ayumi, be careful and help us find out where you are."

"Okay," she said at last, the giggles finally stopping.

"Don't worry," Conan announced. "We're all coming to save you, okay?"

"Right." Ayumi managed, the gravity of the situation settling in again.

"Conan? It's skateboard time!" Joan called. "Bring the others with you!"

"Right, fine," Conan replied half-heartedly, jumping onto his skateboard.

"Joan?" Mitsuhiko inquired, as he boarded the skateboard. "How is this going to help? A skateboard can't outspeed a car."

"This one can," Joan replied, before checking where she was. "Plus, I'll cover you. I'm on my way."

"Where are you, actually?" Mitsuhiko inquired.

Joan giggled. "None of your business!" Then, with a mighty roar, she revved her engine and peeled off, leaving the Detective Boys to follow her.

"What?" Mitsuhiko said plaintively.

* * *

"It's weird, this car keeps stopping and going, and there's this weird noise outside!" Ayumi announced.

"Raise the volume on your badge!" Conan instructed. A few moments later, the distinct sounds of construction were heard, and Conan grinned.

"Intersection on 2nd street!" Joan called, and Conan was off.

* * *

"It's changed, the noises are gone!" Ayumi announced. "We were going for a bit, but now it's stop-and-go again."

"The highway," Joan announced grimly. "Conan, I believe that they're probably stopped by the increased police patrols around today! Head for the Greater Beika Bridge!"

"Right!" Conan agreed, as all three boys hopped onto the skateboard and were off.

* * *

"Idiot!" Conan scolded, as they waited near the Beika Bridge. "They have to go through a checkpoint there too!"

"Conan, stay calm!" Joan warned. "You're a great detective. You can do this. Just think it through and find out where Ayumi is."

"Right..." Conan mumbled, calming down. "Yes, this isn't like me. Alright, Ayumi!" He cried, before finally getting a response.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY ANYTHING?! IDIOT!" Ayumi screeched.

"You went through some radio blocking area, just stay calm or else they'll hear you!" Joan cried.

"There's no way they can!" Ayumi cried, sniffling. "The cars are so loud, I can't even hear their voices any more."

"Where are you?" Conan inquired seriously.

"I don't know," Ayumi replied. "There was the sound of rushing water, and then I couldn't hear you any more!"

"What?!" Conan cried. "That must be..."

"Go for it, Conan!" Joan cried, and she grinned as she heard the screeching of the skateboard's wheels.

She revved her engine herself and blasted off towards her destination.

* * *

They were stopped on the street when Conan saw the white car approach them. It flashed past, and for a few startled moments he couldn't even talk.

Then he laughed manically and cried, "We've found you now!"

The skateboard peeled off, and a black Lamborghini with orange highlights rode next to them.

"I'll try and get them off the road!" Joan announced, peeling down her window. With a brief salute, she closed the window again and drove off.

* * *

Conan came up behind the car, Joan not far behind. He grabbed a can thrown at him and threw it at the car.

"Wah! Conan-kun, what was that?" She asked desperately.

Joan grinned. "We're nearly there, hold tight, Ayumi!"

Just then, the white car pulled around a corner, and the tight squeeze tossed Ayumi sideways. Joan heard her gasp, and a few brief moments later she fell backwards silently.

"She's probably fainted," Joan muttered. "Keep going, we've nearly got them!"

Just then, the whirring on the skateboard slowed.

"Oh no," Conan muttered, eyes going wide. "Not now, not now..."

"Conan!" Joan cried. "That guy who's watering his plants, grab that hose! Try and hitch a ride on a truck or something!"

"Right!" He hopped onto the sidewalk and ripped the hose away, before leaping back into the road and gripping onto a nearby storage truck. As the car and truck matched speeds, Conan glared into the window.

"Stop the car!" He cried, before the man cursed and sped up, causing them to catch onto the car itself.

"We don't have much time! Hurry up!" The other cried.

Just then, a police siren was heard, and Joan matched speeds with them.

"Stop the car!" She announced. "Pull over or face charges from the traffic department!"

He cursed, and a few moments later, they were safely on the street.

"What the heck, woman?!" The driving man swore. "We're in a hurry!"

She instead opened their trunk, to reveal a quite passed out Ayumi.

"What?" The other said, looking at her as she lifted Ayumi out and the three boys came to a stop.

"Is she okay?!" Conan inquired desperately.

"Yes," Joan confirmed, passing her off to the children. "Huh. Looks like these are props... oh well. Seems like we still haven't caught those kidnapping blighters..."

"What is this supposed to be?!" One cried, storming forth.

"Hide-and-seek gone wrong," Joan explained. "My apologies. She got stuck in your trunk and assumed that your props were the real thing. There have been a string of kidnapping-murders recently. Feel free to go on your way."

As the two men peeled off again, Conan blinked.

"J-" he began.

"Edogawa, sir, Thanks again for all the hard work you've been putting in recently," Joan said quickly. "I apologize for borrowing the Lamborghini, and hope that your friend is alright. I'll see you next time you drop by the police station." She looked around. "Want to hitch a ride?"

"Sure!" Conan agreed, deciding to go with it. "Thanks a bunch!"

"No problem." Joan smiled. "HV's got you covered."

They went home, all thoroughly exhausted.

* * *

A/N: Short chapter is short. Meh, this episode was cool on visuals, but the case always made me cringe for some reason.

I'll see you guys next time!


	14. Ep 13 - Akemi Miyano Appeared!

Joan yawned as the morning sun rose on the horizon. Blinking, she briefly checked her phone, and paused.

"So I'll meet Akemi today..." She murmured, not really thinking deeply about it. "Right, need to... uh..." She fumbled with her clothes and grabbed the vial of Pandora's tears.

Her plan was a simple one. All she needed to do was saturate an object with a drip of the tears, and they could be used as a one-use revival. It was brilliant, really, how it worked.

She briefly recalled Aoyama's explanation. _Tears revert death, and prevent from dying in same way!_ It ran. According to those basic principles, she had indeed tested it by taking some with poison (a risky operation, but worth it) and decided to do something silly.

Walking into Conan's room, she inquired, "Hey, do you still have some of the feathers you collected a while back?"

"Yeah?" Conan replied, glancing up from his homework. "I still have plenty."

"May I have one for something?" Joan inquired. "I'm too lazy to grab one myself."

"Sure," He replied, handing one over from a small pile on his desk. "What for?"

"An experiment," Joan told him quietly. "Which will be worth the wait."

* * *

It had worked. She was certain. The feather was now stained at the edges with the red tears of Pandora, and using her art skills she had quickly transformed it into a hair clip. She was ready.

Walking down the road, she glanced briefly at Café Poirot and sighed, before heading for Mitsuhiko's neighbourhood. If she was lucky, she could do something less boring today until she had to see Akemi and deliver the feather.

Turning a few corners, she finally got to Mitsuhiko's house, and with a gentle poke she listened to the striking ring of the doorbell.

"Huh?" Asami said, opening the door. "Oh! You're Joan-chan, right? Come inside, I'll get Mitsuhiko."

Joan politely dipped her head in passing, before sitting down at the bottom of the stairs and waiting patiently. A few moments later, Mitsuhiko rushed down and sat next to her.

"Something big happening today?" He asked seriously.

"Nah," Joan replied, shrugging. "I have to be back home by two, but otherwise the day is free. I was bored, so... yeah. Now I'm here."

"Bored?" Mitsuhiko repeated disbelievingly. "You? What's Conan doing?"

"Nothing."

Mitsuhiko blinked. There wasn't much else to say.

"We could go play soccer," Mitsuhiko suggested. "I may not be as good as Conan, but-"

"Meh." Joan said bluntly. "Hey, what do you think about learning martial arts?"

"Sounds cool, actually!" Mitsuhiko agreed. "You know any?"

"I invented a secret style," Joan winked. "Lots of practice. us two'll be the only ones who can perform it."

Mitsuhiko's eyes glowed with anticipation.

"Let's do it."

* * *

Joan looked around the park, and after a few moments she nodded to herself and turned to Mitsuhiko.

"First off," She began, "You have to learn to amplify your power. It's how I can bust down walls and such, and it's quite simple."

"Yeah?" Mitsuhiko inquired eagerly. "Go on."

"Reversing force," she replied, grinning. "Otherwise known as breaking the rule of, 'if you push the wall, the wall will push you'."

"Wait," Mitsuhiko paused. "You want me to break physics?!"

"Yep!" she replied readily. "Never was a big fan of science, anyway. But this technically makes you four times as powerful as you actually are. Watch carefully."

She went over to a stick and stuck it upright in the ground. With a painfully slow motion she moved her hand along, until it pushed up against the stick and stopped.

"Here," she said, pointing with her other hand, "is where things become important. You'll learn more by watching, but the more I push against the stick the more it resists me, right?"

"Yeah..." Mitsuhiko said slowly.

"All I do," she explained, "Is steal that resistance and add it to my own power. Like so."

Mitsuhiko blinked as the stick was sliced in half perfectly.

"What." He said bluntly. "You just broke physics."

"Rules were meant to be broken," Joan said, grinning. "C'mon, I'll walk you through it."

* * *

It was an hour later before Mitsuhiko finally got it.

With a fierce swipe he sliced the stick in half, and for a moment he blinked disbelievingly.

"Great job!" Joan applauded him. "Keep going! I've only got an hour before I have to head back home."

Mitsuhiko paused, wiped sweat from his brow, and smiled. "Thanks, Jo-chan."

"No problem!" Joan smiled. "Let's see... oh, I know, I can teach you that self-defence move I worked out..."

* * *

As Joan stepped into Café Poirot, she glimpsed Miyano Akemi rushing up the stairs to the Detective Agency.

 _Let the case begin,_ She thought grimly.

Climbing upstairs after her, she smiled. "Are you here to ask Mouri-san to take on a case? Here, I'll open the door for you." She invited Akemi through and gently closed the door behind her.

"Yo, Conan!" She waved as he entered the room. "New case!"

"On it, I'll get the old man!" Conan replied.

With a brief glance, she turned to Akemi. "Hmm. You're in quite a panic, aren't you? Has someone swindled you? Or maybe he ran away from you, and you're in pursuit?" She suggested.

For a moment shock flashed over the older woman's face, but she calmed so quickly that it was barely a moment later she replied, "No, not quite. My father has gone missing."

"I see," Joan said, grinning. "I'm sure we can help."

For some reason, Akemi Miyano, alias Hirota Masami, was incredibly nervous under the piercing gaze.

 _It's almost as if she knows all of my secrets,_ She thought, as the detective walked in, the small boy and a teen girl in tow.

* * *

"I beg of you, please find my father!" She cried, blinking away fake tears.

"Right," Kogoro said, clearly bewildered by the rushed nature of her request and the incredible energy with which she stated her case.

"My father came to Tokyo to work for a taxi company, but he quit," She began nervously. "He's been missing for a month!"

"Must be tough," Joan murmured, staring at her unerringly. "You left Yamagata and took time off to come to Tokyo, right? That's a big thing to do. It must be really serious."

Masami blinked, and said slowly, "Yes." Digging into her purse, she showed them all a picture. "This is my father, Hirota Kenzou. He's 170cm tall, 48 years old."

"Ah!" Joan cried, as she hung out over the top of the sofa Kogoro was sitting on. "That's a cute kitty!"

"That's my father's cat, Kai." Masami explained. "He has three others, Tei, Gou and Ou."

Joan grinned and hopped off the sofa, watching as Conan tripped and his tracker was stuck onto Masami.

 _Now all we need is to follow the script, and I'll be able to catch her alone for a few moments and give her that revival wing._

She watched carefully as Masami left, bowing deeply to Kogoro.

 _Good luck, Akemi Miyano,_ Joan thought, smiling to herself. _You'll need it._

* * *

As she walked home, Mitsuhiko following her, he said, "What's up with you lately, actually?"

"I want you to be prepared," she replied honestly. "It's been a while since I've had the time to do anything about it, but with this, you ought be able to help protect the Detective Boys along with Conan." she frowned to herself.

"Is there something you're not telling me?" he inquired seriously.

"Yes," Joan replied. "And I'm not sure I should tell you until it's happened. But know this; the Detective Boys are not yet complete. When the true fifth member arrives, I want you to protect them. I don't know how much they'll trust me, but I'm sure they'll confide in you."

Just then, She turned to see Masami rush up to her 'father' and hug him deeply.

"Ah! Joan?!" Conan cried. "MItsuhiko?!"

Mitsuhiko cried, "it's not, we weren't-"

Joan settled for a gentle, "Oh, hi Conan."

* * *

Conan frowned as Ran sobbed.

It wasn't too long ago that they had found out that Kenzou was dead - murdered, and made to appear to have committed suicide - and Masami was nowhere to be found.

Joan poked Conan.

"What?" He grumbled.

"Glasses Tracking System, genius," she said simply.

In a matter of moments he was off and running.

* * *

"Any luck?" Joan inquired, looking up form her book as Conan stomped in, looking none too happy.

"No," he grumbled, hopping onto the sofa. "No luck."

"And where were you, Mister?!" Kogoro inquired from the sofa across from Conan.

To distract them, Joan asked, "What's up with Ran?"

The three of them walked over to the window, peeking out and standing next to Ran.

"That man is strange," She mumbled, glaring at something out on the street. "He's been looking over here for quite a while."

Joan opened the window quietly, commenting, "Hey, he was near Hirota's apartment the other day. And now that I think about it, wasn't the killer a large man?"

Ran leaped out of the window without another word.

"AH!" Kogoro cried, as Joan leaped after her, gripping Conan around the waist to carry him down.

"Where is Masami-san?" Ran inquired grimly, glaring at the man as he shifted under the weight of his tan trench coat.

Something snapped.

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?!"

Fearful, the man jolted and began running away, dashing towards a slightly older car, Ran and Joan in close pursuit. As he leapt inside, Joan leaped onto the roof of the car and smashed in the window, allowing Ran to drag him out forcefully onto the road.

"I got him!" She called, as Conan stared disbelievingly and Kogoro caught up to the other three.

* * *

"I'm telling you, I really am a detective!" The man cried desperately.

"Why did you run away, then?!" Kogoro inquired angrily.

He seemed a bit embarrassed as he admitted that it was simply a natural reaction to a girl (and child) jumping out a window to fight you.

Joan hung out behind him with mild curiosity. She snapped forth and pinched his glasses, prompting Kogoro to laugh at the almost comical femininity of the man's face and for Conan to snicker into his sleeve in an attempt to hide his laughter.

The man attempted to hide his embarrassment as he continued, "This is my client. He supposedly came here from Kyushu looking for his missing brother."

"But Masami-san was his only relative," Kogoro countered disbelievingly. "Which means... they were lying!"

"I heard from the taxi company that late at night he would frantically drive the same route over and over," The man said, shivering. "Creepy stuff."

"I bet he was trying to use it as stress relief, a lot of middle-aged men are like that," Kogoro said vaguely, ignoring it. "Who was your client again?"

"Hirota Akira, 28," the detective said, showing a picture which Conan glared at. "190cm tall, he was gigantic."

It was obvious which mind-gears were turning, and Joan frowned very slightly.

As the exchange between the two older men got more heated, Conan inspected the man's image with grim realization pasted all over his face.

"Someone's met a terrible fate, haven't they?"

* * *

"Hurry up!" Conan moaned, running in place impatiently.

"He's going as fast as he can!" Joan hissed. "Look, keep calm. You have to proceed with caution - these are murderers we're talking about, not petty thieves."

"I know," Conan mumbled, grabbing his glasses and fitting them onto his face.

"C'mon," Joan said confidently. "I'll fib a story for you, we've got to get going. Thanks, Agasa."

"Oh, by the way," Agasa said, as they headed out. "I'm nearly done with those arm-braces you asked for. I just need to fit them appropriately to a reliable energy source."

"I'll drop by sometime to pick them up," Joan decided. "Now, we'd better be going."

* * *

As the two children followed Ran and Kogoro into the building, Conan commented idly, "the indicator hasn't moved for a while."

"Interesting," Joan murmured, pushing her face up next to Conan's to get a better look. "Yeah, you're right."

"O-oi!" Conan hissed. "What if-"

BEEP!

Ran giggled as she saw the image pop up on her screen. "You two are so cute!"

Conan hopped out of the elevator before Ran could go any further.

* * *

"We know you're in there! Open up!" Kogoro yelled, banging at the door.

Joan hopped up and gripped the handle, turning it.

"Oh, it's open," he murmured, pushing it forward as the door creaked ominously inward, showing a dark room.

Conan turned on the lights and revealed a grim scene - one of death.

* * *

"Did you get your tracker?" Joan inquired.

"Yeah," Conan confirmed. He looked... understandably upset.

"You know the answer, don't you?" she whispered. "I'll give you a hint; she was in the elevator."

His eyes flashed in realization, and the chase was on.

* * *

The frantic dash led them outside, to where Masami, aka Akemi Miyano, was already boarding a taxi.

Conan leaped in the very next one, signalling to Joan to have her join him. She anticipated the man grabbing him, swiping at his arm to release Conan, and cried, "If we don't leave NOW our parents are going to die before we ever meet them! I need to be here!" She announced, glaring at him for a few moments before leaping in alongside Conan and practically throwing a sizeable sum of money at the taxi driver.

"Follow that taxi, posthaste!" She cried, pointing heroically into the distance as the man began to drive. "Our maid is in that taxi!"

He didn't ask questions to one hundred dollars cash.

* * *

As the two leaped out, not bothered enough to say anything more to the taxi, Conan glanced about, until he saw Joan rushing ahead.

With a few turns, she stopped suddenly and struck outwards to stop Conan's dash. The two of them peeked around the corner to see a much more mature-looking 'Masami Hirota' walked slowly down an abandoned part of the docks.

She stopped suddenly as a shadowy figure walked out and grinned at her, his trench-coat adding to the creepy aura he had.

"Where's the money?" He asked gruffly. "Hirota Masami? Or should I say... Akemi Miyano?"

"Okita, what's going on?" She demanded. "That sleeping drug you gave me killed him!"

"If a thug like him got money, he'd spend it on useless and pointless things, getting us caught," Okita replied, a sickening smirk never leaving his lips.

"You planned to kill us all from the start, didn't you?" She inquired, making a rather good stand for what any other person might consider terrifying.

"I'll take the money now," He said, ignoring her.

"It's not here," She replied. "I've hidden it. I've had enough from you, and I'm getting out."

"You think you can?" Okita said steadily, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," She replied readily. "I go to a foreign country and tell you where the money is."

"If you live, my role in this would be revealed," Okita said, his sick smile growing. "I normally don't get my hands dirty, but with this my connection to you will be erased."

There was the snap-click of a gun being loaded.

"You'll not know where the money is," Akemi shot back, smiling confidently.

"I can guess," He replied, and just then Joan signalled to Conan.

He dashed out, shoe glowing briefly as he ran for a few stray floats that had been discarded, and Joan dashed towards Miyano, being sure to lay low. With a whipcrack kick, the float went flying into the offending gunman, throwing him onto his back.

"Miyano-neechan! We came to rescue you!" Joan called out, grabbing her by the wrist. She blinked as she seemed to realize that her wristwatch was gone, and looked at Joan with a bewildered look on her face.

"The little girl from the detective agency... and the little boy too?" She inquired doubtfully. "How?"

"We figured it out," Joan replied, winking.

"Who are you guys?" She asked blatantly.

"I'm Conan," Conan said, "Conan Edogawa. I'm a detective."

"And I'm his sidekick," Joan giggled. "HV, Hidden Variable, Joan for those who know me."

She jumped backwards suddenly in a backflip, before leaping onto Okita and hitting him directly in the head, knocking out the man who was coming to groggily.

Just then, police sirens were heard, and Joan dashed back to Miyano as Conan stood back.

"I've got a skill," Joan began hurriedly, "that lets me see brief flashes of the future. I see a great danger in yours, so I prepared this beforehand. Wear it, and you will be safe from what the future holds for you." She pulled out her feather hairclip and gave it to her.

"Thank you?" Akemi tried, not quite sure what to think.

"Also," Joan whispered so that Conan wouldn't hear, "do me a favour. Take good care of Shiho for me. She needs you."

Akemi's eyes went wide until the police came, and she was forced to fib a story to get out of arrest.

* * *

BONUS PARAGRAPH

The doorbell, now becoming a familiar sound, rang loudly, and Joan was let into the Tsuburaya residence.

"Oi, Michel!" She called. "Want a cool new gadget the professor made for me?"

"YEAH!" He cried, bounding down the stairs.

"Here, let me show you how this works," Joan said, giving him the right-hand brace. "You see this little hole? It will automatically blow up a football when needed. Not a soccer ball, but the American kind." She briefly showed him, before continuing, "The brace itself is a strength modifier and AI to help with security hacking. Trust me, it might be useful someday," She assured him.

"Way cool!" Mitsuhiko decided, staring at his new gadget with a wild grin on his face.

 _So cute..._ Joan thought to herself, giggling as Mitsuhiko awed at it with a new-found joy.

It wasn't a surprise that Mitsuhiko was her favourite character.

* * *

A/N: Did you enjoy the chapter?

I'm glad that people are reviewing, it fills me with joy! :D I'm also happy to know that there are fellow Mitsuhiko-lovers out there. Mitsuhiko fans unite!

As a side note, I'm glad to do request stories, but I need to be able to contact the person reliably (either via fanfiction or tumblr). Thanks to the reviewer who asked, but I'll have to turn down for now. My tumblr will be on my profile soon.


	15. Ep 14-15 - Sniper-Missing Corpse

"It's just me, myself and I~" Joan sang gently, sorting through the things in her room as she sang the out-of-place song. She had been quite a singer when she was still in... well, the real world, for her. The 17-year-old Detective Conan lover had been in a band, after all.

It was strange, really. This world, and its inhabitants... they were real, and yet not real. How had Aoyama explained it again...?

Oh yeah. Only people who lived through the story were actually real-real, in a sense that they had souls and such. It was creepy, actually, thinking about souls while still in the mortal world... but it would suffice as an explanation while she maintained the story.

It was fun now, really, and she didn't fear death so much any more. Just pain, and getting something wrong in the story, though why she was afraid she didn't know. She knew it was okay to be, though.

Shaking herself out of her depressing line of thought, she got up and walked out of the house.

As she strolled down the street, she felt the phone in her pocket ring, and she picked up.

"Joan friend?" The crackling of Aoyama's voice filtered through. "Big news! Friend tell me about computer corruption discovery!"

"Go on," Joan said grimly.

"You aware of TV show?" he inquired.

Joan made noises of confirmation as she wondered where this was leading.

"Well it appear that TV show episode corrupt in different way than Manga file," he explained seriously. "Original TV episode change things in time space of 2 days. Episode itself different, Conan not safe near them."

"Right," Joan murmured. "The next case is one, I'll try and stick by him."

"Thanks you, Joan friend!" Aoyama said hurriedly, before the sounds of men and women chatting were cut off by the beeping of the phone.

"Changes..." Joan murmured. "Not good. Hmm... it was... that way." With a decisive air about her, she dashed off, not wanting to be late.

She was going to take this guardian angel stuff seriously, even if it wasn't true.

* * *

It was nearly time as she dashed towards Conan and the others. She winced as she saw that they were on the other side of the river.

With a mental note to fix herself some way of getting places quickly, she crouched before performing a prodigious leap and twisted halfway through her trajectory, wincing as the bullet hit the small boat which up till then had been the focus. She twirled and landed heavily on one knee in front of Conan.

For a few bewildered moments the Detective Boys stared at her incredulously.

After a moment, Genta spoke everyone's mind. "What?"

"Conan, I've detected abnormalities," Joan said, breathing deep breaths. "I'm not leaving your side until the storm passes. Which reminds me..." she turned and stuck a tongue out at the men who were quickly retreating from the roof. "Suckers!" She called in heavily accented English.

"Uh, Joan...-chan," Conan said worriedly, "Are you okay?"

"What is defined as okay?" Joan inquired seriously. "If mad as a hatter and loving it counts as okay, then sure! If not, probably, but I can't be certain."

"Uh, you're okay as far as insane people go, I guess, which is good enough." Conan decided. "But first, to that building!"

* * *

Conan crouched down, looking around, and Ayumi approached carefully.

"He's looking for clues," Joan said quietly, interrupting Ayumi's train of thought.

Ayumi blinked and stared at Joan incredulously. "How do you always know what people are thinking?"

"Lots of practice," Joan sighed. "Out of necessity. Oh look, what's that?" She interrupted herself, walking over and picking up a calculator laying on the ground.

"Huh," Conan muttered, looking over at the screen. "It looks like... maybe it's a message?"

Joan quickly pulled a notebook from somewhere and jotted down the message. "We can try Megure, but he's unlikely to believe us. Cost of being young."

"Right," Conan said, taking a phone from his backpack.

* * *

"Well, tell Mouri-kun I say hi!" Megure decided, wheeling off in his police car.

"Cheh!" Genta muttered. "He didn't believe us, just like Joan said!"

"Let's go home for now," Joan decided. "we can do some more research tomorrow."

* * *

Joan was incredibly nervous. Up until this point everything had been kind of the same, but any moment it could diverge from the appropriate path.

"Joan," Conan said nervously, "you're going to break my arm. Please let go."

Joan paused, then clung to him more tightly. "I am your angel. Therefore, I revoke your ability to refuse my protection."

"This isn't protection, it's you being nervous over a whole lot of nothing," Conan pointed out.

"Still," she hissed, giving the relaxing lakeside scenery the evil eye. "Still."

* * *

After Ran had taken a myriad of pictures, Conan complaining the whole time, the two children finally separated, though Joan stood in the corner of the room looking incredibly nervous.

Conan was having a hard time with this puzzle. She felt bad, but she had to keep it down and let him solve it. She needed to focus on protecting him.

With a twitch of annoyance as he came to the wrong conclusion, she walked over and stared at the page. Then she snatched up the magazine from Kogoro and stared at it unerringly.

"What's wrong, Joan-chan?" Ran inquired, looking at her with confusion on her face. "What happened?"

"This... makes me feel... twitchy," Joan said slowly, glaring at the express train on the front cover. "Very. Twitchy."

"Let's get some sleep and look at that highway tomorrow," Conan suggested.

* * *

As they drove along, Joan pulled out the spare computer she borrowed from Agasa's basement and quickly connected to the internet and loaded a page.

"Go right," she advised, telling lies. "Then left at this junction."

Conan's eyes slowly narrowed as he watched her give orders. It wasn't long before she felt his hand on her shoulder.

"What are you doing?" he whispered, poking her.

"Misdirection." She took out a calculator and typed in the number, before flipping it over and showing him.

Realization was an incredible thing.

"To the express train!" Conan cried, nearly leaping out of his seat. "We got it wrong!"

* * *

Joan and Conan leaped out of the rental car and dashed across the road, headed for a tall white building. As they approached the top, Joan sped up and went ahead, stopping him when they hit the top.

She held her finger up to signal for silence, and very slowly, she opened the door.

In front of them as the wind blew inside were a group of men. One of them was down on one knee and had a rifle in his arms; the others stood around him and held guns at his head while one of them gave him instructions.

"We need to get them all at the same time, or the others can shoot us," Joan warned. "On the count of three, I want you to turn the corner here and kick with all your might, then hide behind the door. I'll run out and distract them, then move off to the side so you can attack from behind and get the last two. Good?"

"Stay safe, but we're good," Conan decided. "Count of three?"

"One,"

"Two," Conan continued, adjusting his stance.

"THREE!"

The two of them leaped out, Conan using his own jacket to kick at the first man as Joan dashed to the side and distracted them. As predicted, they took aim at her, and she leaped quickly to avoid the first shots.

"GET 'EM!" One cried, and as she heard that she felt one nick her ankle. Wincing slightly, she launched forward and used her head to barrel into him, knocking him over.

She then felt the whizzing of something flashing past, which hit the other man directly on the head.

"Good job!" She complimented him, giving him a thumbs up.

Conan returned the gesture, grinning himself. "All thanks to you, Joan!"

The couple they rescued blinked in complete confusion for a few seconds, but then the sniper threw his weapon to the ground and began to free his girlfriend.

"Good to see they're okay," Joan said, smiling to herself. She walked back up to Conan and grabbed his hand. "C'mon, let's go home."

"Why not use the helicopter?" Conan replied, pointing.

* * *

BONUS ROUND! Episode 15 - Missing Corpse Murder Case

* * *

Joan moved forward slowly, pacing behind Conan and following him closely.

"What's happened to make you so on edge?" He inquired calmly.

"You don't want to know," Joan said ominously. "It's beyond comprehension and absolutely terrifying, which is why I'm staying right here until the storm passes."

Ayumi huffed in a grumpy manner and declared, "Then I'm protecting Conan too!" she grabbed Conan's arm and refused to let go.

"Now you're being even more annoying than she is!" Conan complained in an attempt to shake her off. Joan giggled a bit and took a picture with her phone.

"JOAN!" Conan hissed, trying to reach for her phone. It soon escalated into a game of get-the-phone, until she stopped and stared at something beyond a wall.

She crouched down and began to make a small, friendly chittering sound, beckoning a cat which was behind the gates. It approached slowly and eventually came to sit in her arms.

"Look, Conan," She said with concern, "he's bloodstained."

He dashed forward and lifted the cat out of her arms, looking around, before his expression solidified into one of grim realization.

Joan was already jumping the wall, and he soon followed. She adjusted a Garbage can to stay upright, and he jumped up and took a look inside.

He yelled and jumped off before running for the phone box, and Joan allowed each Detective Boy to see the inside of the house, where the grim scene of a body lay.

She made a quick decision and jumped inside, hopping in next to the corpse, and stood guard. She wanted to skip this case if at all possible.

She took a fighting stance as the door opened, and leaped forward in an attempt to hit the younger twin down. Instead, he faked her out and dodged, and a few moments later she realized what her prime weakness was.

She hit the wall. Hard.

Then, blinking, she hoped she wouldn't be killed as the world spun and went dark around her.

* * *

Joan woke up.

It was darker outside, but not night for a long time yet. She felt a few eye-stinging rays pierce her face, and she twisted.

That was when she realized that she was hanging from the top of a closet, the light filtering through the door.

 _How stupid._ She thought, rolling her eyes. _I've died again._

She reached up with her hands and grabbed the rope, and suddenly remembered that she was wearing a necklace that day. Thanking her lucky stars that she hadn't needed to rely on her immortality to live, she gripped them tightly and ripped the rope apart with one swift motion, landing lightly on the bottom of the closet.

She sat down and wondered what to do.

 _Well,_ she considered, _Conan will show up eventually looking for clues, or me. Maybe I should just wait here._

 _Or,_ she thought with a hint of cheekiness, _I could totally ruin this guy._

 _Let's go for the latter._

She ascended in the closet, letting her wings fill the cramped space. She burst the closet open and walked out, glancing around. With a slight nod to herself, she opened the window and dropped a single feather outside. Then, turning back, she banged on the door.

Footsteps came up the stairs, and she grinned, before running to the window and leaping onto the roof of the house. She listened carefully.

"What-" the sudden yell was cut off by a series of strangled gasps as the man looked first from his brother, to the feathers scattered on the floor, to the closet where Joan's body had been.

Joan locked the window and dashed off to lock the others as well, before finally locking the front door.

It was darker now, and she returned to the room to reopen the window and hid her wings before going back in the closet.

The wait didn't take long.

* * *

The rustling of leaves signalled her to the presence of the Detective Boys. She listened carefully as Conan left the three others outside and began to go around the house, and she waited patiently as he entered the room.

Then the door opened, the lights turned on, and Conan hid behind the dead body of the younger man's brother.

"CONAN-KUN!" Genta yelled through the transceiver, causing the man to turn around and shout back.

Joan winced as Conan began to deduce the criminal's actions. It went on, displaying his intellect as he explained why the corpse was there.

"Isn't that right, Tomofumi Tanaka-san?" Conan inquired daringly.

"DIE!" Tomofumi yelled suddenly, running forward.

 _Time for me to interrupt, I guess._

Joan's wings burst forth, distracting him, and she stepped slowly and ominously out of the closet, before turning her eyes to stare at him. He dropped his weapon and took a few steps back.

Conan blinked, then grinned and turned off his transmitter as Joan stepped forward even more, until finally the younger brother of the deceased was right up against the wall.

Then, she burst forward and yelled in his face, looking as fearsome as she could. He fainted before she even reached him.

"No one. Messes. With. Conan." She seethed, breathing heavily as her wings retracted.

"Wow, obsessed much?" Conan commented, crossing his arms.

Joan smiled and grabbed his hand. "We angels are designed to be." She told him.

Just then, she paused as she heard the sound of a door being knocked down. "I'm going to play dead. Or fainted, take your pick. Help me out." And with that, she let her knees go weak and toppled onto the floor, lying still.

"CONAN-KUN!" Ayumi cried, rushing in with Mitsuhiko and Genta in hot pursuit, a tail end of Megure and some police officers following them into the room. "JOAN-CHAN!"

She dashed over and grabbed Joan around the waist, lifting Joan's head onto her lap. Conan twitched irritably but did nothing, merely saying, "She's fine, just passed out from a lack of air."

"Huh?" Ayumi said, wiping away her tears.

"She was an idiot and got herself caught," Conan continued. "She's lucky she didn't die, and that the idiot on the floor over there wasn't smart enough to hang her properly."

"Someone got hung?!" Megure shouted, rushing in. He lowered down to Joan's level and picked her up gently.

"She was in the closet, but she managed to kick the door open," Conan explained. "The effort made her loose her breath, and she passed out with that alongside hanging from your neck. I'm fine, by the way - he fainted when he realized she was still alive."

Megure signalled two of the officers to grab the offending man, and they lifted him up, carrying him away. The other three were left to take the Detective Boys home and carry away the corpse.

"I'm sorry for doubting you five," he apologized as Joan was loaded into the police car next to Conan and Mitsuhiko. "I was sure you were all lying, and look where that got me."

"Not a problem!" Conan replied, before they were off.

* * *

A few minutes later, Mitsuhiko poked Joan.

"You're actually awake, aren't you?" Mitsuhiko inquired.

Joan gripped Mitsuhiko's hand as a signal, then used her other hand to send out a set of letters to Conan. He chuckled and told Mitsuhiko, "She's probably tired, Mitsuhiko-kun. We should probably leave it for tomorrow."

"But Conan-kun, my arm's falling asleep," Mitsuhiko complained. Even as he spoke, Joan cuddled closer and started to breathe softly."And that tickles!" He cried, struggling to push her away gently. "Do something!"

Conan grinned. Then, with a Cheshire cat smile, he took her phone and snapped a photo.

"CONAN-KUN!"

* * *

A/N: I couldn't fit this into two chapters without feeling guilty, so here you go. Have two episodes for the size of one. :/

Enjoy! I'll keep the updates coming!


	16. Ep 16 - Swords and Antiques

The fish in the small pool occasionally hopped out of the pond, and Joan ignored them, instead messing about on her phone, and Conan had opted to hang out behind her and watch, using her head as a chin-rest. She opted not to tell him how Ran was sneaking photos of the two occasionally.

She wanted a good chance at a memory to bring back home.

"Oh, a visitor," Conan commented, as a vague shape passed by on the other side of the hedge. Joan closed down her phone and looked as well, blinking as she felt a strange sense of foreboding.

Then, suddenly, something clicked, and she watched on grimly as Kogoro's client left to let them in.

"He won't come back," she whispered to herself, not even loud enough for Conan to hear.

* * *

It was a while later when their boredom was interrupted.

Joan perked up suddenly as the phone rang, and watched almost obsessively as Mouri walked over to the machine, only for the dial to end as he reached it. Swearing, he returned to the room he had been having his audience with his client in, closing the door with an irritable huff.

"Something sounded strange, just then," Joan commented, speaking Conan's mind.

"Yeah," he agreed.

"What?" Ran inquired, confused. "I didn't hear anything."

They kept waiting.

* * *

The sun was going down. Joan watched the sunset with a bored sigh, but blinked as the phone rang again.

Mouri opened the door faster this time, but almost immediately the audible click of someone hanging up was heard.

"After only one ring?" Conan said incredulously. "Geez."

There was a pause.

Then the phone rang again. Then someone hung up again.

"Again?" Conan sighed.

"I can't wait any longer! It's already been two hours!" Kogoro decided suddenly. "I'm headed to check on him."

He stormed off towards the wing where the man had brought the guest and was soon out of sight.

Joan got up.

"Oi, where do you-" Conan began.

Then the screaming started.

* * *

The two maids, one having run into Kogoro, were staring at the Third-rate to better than great detective.

"Who are you?" Kogoro and the maid he knocked over said simultaneously.

"Geez, Odou-san!" Ran groaned, grabbing his arm. "C'mon, let's just go inside! We've already been waiting for two hours!"

"What's all this about?" An older woman asked, walking over hurriedly. "Who are you all?!"

"We'll explain in a minute," Joan comforted her. "We were here on business with your husband. We just need to see him, he didn't come back for a long time."

"Go check on him!" The woman ordered, sending the two maids off. Then, glaring at Kogoro, she winced.

"You're that Detective! I'll double his offer, just don't tell him I'm having an affair!" She cried, gripping his shirt.

Unfortunately, the threats didn't go any farther, because the dual screams of the maids was heard, and they were all up and running before anything more could be said.

Dashing inside the side annex, Joan flung her arm to one side as she prevented Conan from going any further.

Kogoro cried out, then stopped moving in shock, before finally recovering.

"Ran! Call the police!"

There was good reason for him saying that; before them, pinned to the wall by a bloodied sword, was Kogoro's client, whose kimono was drenched in his own blood, which seeped from numerous slash wounds and the deep strike into his chest.

* * *

As Officer Tome took photos of the crime scene, Megure went about his ways announcing the clues to himself.

"The victim is Maru Denjiro, 51 years old," he began irritably. "He was the owner of the house. Your husband practiced Iai, a type of swordsmanship, right?" He inquired to the man's wife.

"Yes, he was third level," she confirmed.

"That's quite good," Megure agreed. "So this Sword in his chest belonged to your husband?"

"Yes, it was hung in his room," She nodded, holding back a small collection of tears.

"Considering the state of this room," Megure continued, "it looks like there was a serious fight in here. This would imply that the murderer is a master swordsman as well." He glanced down and paused, before reaching for a book at the man's feet and grabbing it with his white-gloved hands.

"His agenda," he mused, opening it and flipping through the pages. "So many appointments..."

He turned around and directed his next words at Joan and Conan, who were doing some research on her phone.

"Conan-kun, Jo-kun, you definitely saw a guest come here, right?"

"Yeah," Conan answered.

"But we only saw his legs," Joan continued. "From behind a bush. We heard his footsteps."

"Hmm. Today's appointments were..." Megure mumbled, going back to the book.

"Hey, actually," Conan said, suspicion leaking from his voice, "How did you know that woman was his wife? I don't think we showed you the pictures..."

"Magician's secret," Joan said glibly. "But I did sneak a peek at Mouri's records, if that means anything."

"...Suwa Yuji, Hatano Ikuya, Akutsu Makoto." Megure read out. "Including Mouri, that's four people."

"Inspector!" One of the other officers called. "We found someone suspicious! This man was lurking in front of the house!"

As he'd said, Megure was presented with a seedy-looking man with a pair of gigantic glasses nearly as ridiculous as Conan's, wearing a cheap business suit. Joan sighed.

"First suspect," She muttered. "Gosh, I need a break from this at some point."

"No kidding," Conan agreed.

"Oh my, Hatano-sensei!" Denjiro's wife cried, causing Megure to snap his attention to her.

"Hatano? As in Hatano Ikuya, from this agenda?" Megure inquired, showing it to her.

"Yes," She confirmed. "he's my husband's doctor. He comes weekly to give my husband a check-up."

The man rubbed his right arm nervously, glancing furtively about.

"Hey, hey! let me go!" Someone cried from out of sight. "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm the great Akutsu-sensei, master Sculptor!"

Megure and Kogoro dashed forwards towards the group of officers holding the man down. Joan rolled her eyes as she and Conan walked forwards towards the scene.

"What an ego," they commented simultaneously. Both of them glanced at each other suddenly.

"Were you copying me?" Conan inquired, deadpan.

"Nope," she said honestly. With a wild grin, she continued, "but if you forgot, I'm here to protect you. We're more similar than either of us think, I bet."

"So you're Akutsu Makoto?" Megure inquired, bringing the two teens-turned-children back to reality.

"Now we have three people from that agenda!" Kogoro declared. "Only Suwa Yuji left!"

"Can I help you?" The man in question asked, standing behind the group. Kogoro reoriented himself in a flustered manner to face the man. "I'm Suwa. What's going on here?"

Just then, he paused, and turned to see Joan gripping his hand in just a way that Conan could get a good look at Suwa's left hand, and the nick between his thumb and index finger.

"You practice Iai, don't you, Ojisan?" Conan inquired, a childish grin plastered on his face.

"How did you know that?" He asked grimly, kneeling down to speak to the two children.

"It's simple," Joan stated, smiling at him. "It's your left hand."

The man looked briefly confused.

Conan continued, "You have a scar between your thumb and your index finger."

"People who practice Iai get that kind of scar when sheathing their Katana." Joan finished.

"Are those two right?" Megure inquired seriously.

"I got this scar when I was still a beginner," Suwa explained, getting up. Joan noticed his particular nervousness around them, which he hid well, but not well enough - though it helped that she was looking for it.

"SO YOU'RE THE MURDERER!" Kogoro cried, his blatant idiocy shining through.

"What on earth are you talking about?"

* * *

The three men stared incredulously at the ravaged body of their former friend - or in one case, former enemy - without speaking for a long moment.

"The murderer was an expert swordsman," Mouri began in a voice far too cheery for a death site. "as you can see. Unfortunately for you, Suwa, that makes you the prime suspect."

Joan and Conan dual-face-palmed.

"You're mistaken!" Suwa cried, his face attempting shock. "I came here to return the 5 million yen I borrowed from Maru-san."

"You came here to return money?" Kogoro inquired incredulously.

"I have the money here," he proclaimed grandly, taking it out of his coat pocket and displaying the package of bills to Kogoro.

Megure zoomed in at that moment and pushed Kogoro out of the way, and began to interrogate the man. "Where were you between 3PM and 5PM?"

"Meditating in my Dojo, by myself," the man explained calmly, reacting less violently to the more authoritative personality out of the two, ironically.

"Can anyone confirm that for you?" Megure asked firmly, brows furrowed.

"No, there isn't." Suwa admitted, glancing down at his feet.

As Kogoro grumbled in the background, Joan stared between the picture at the top of the gigantic drawer set and the dead body.

"What're you thinking so far?" Conan inquired.

Joan shrugged. "Checking handedness. Why ask me?"

"You seem to know where to look all the time." Conan said bluntly. "You're practically like a magnet... for... the resolution..." He paused.

"Hey, Ojisan!" Joan called. "Why's the dead mister holding his sword differently than in the picture up there?"

Megure put two and two together. "The sword must have been put there on purpose!" He exclaimed.

"And no matter how incredible the fight," Conan continued, not wanting to be left out, "I seriously wonder how they managed to get sword marks in the ceiling, floor, and walls. Practically nothing was left unscathed."

"I see!" Megure cried suddenly. "This is a set-up to make it look like the killer was a skilled swordsman! I'm sorry for our initial doubt, Suwa-san. Stay here, but for now, rest easier." He turned on Akutsu. "And what do you have to say for yourself, Akutsu-san?"

"I-I came here to return 10 million yen to Maru-san!" He explained nervously, stuttering, and failing to remain as cool and uppity as he had before.

"So you came to pay him back?" Megure inquired.

"N-N-No," he stuttered, clearly terrified, as the bristle on his chin began to stand out. "I didn't have the money and was going to ask for an extension to return the amount."

Megure frowned. "And where were you between 3PM and 5PM?"

"Alone, in my studio," he said, though his voice dropped off into a murmur.

"In other words, you have no alibi!" Mouri proclaimed. Joan cringed as she anticipated the next bout of Idiot Detective Mouri Kogoro.

"Joan-kun!" Megure called. "Can you come here and answer some questions for me?"

"Sure, Inspector!" Joan called back cheerily. "Conan, back me up here. I don't know what he's going to ask, and I need your help to make sure things stay stable."

"Right." The two walked over together, and she smiled up at him.

"What kind of appointment did Mouri-kun have?" He asked, his eyebrow twitching irritably as Mouri and Akutsu exchanged in an accusation match.

"He was reporting on a case, Inspector," Joan explained.

"The man's wife over there was... uh..." he tilted his head in a childish manner.

"Cheating," Joan finished, cutting off Conan's deliberate stumble. The lady gasped, slightly shocked that the children her husband's detective were caring for knew, and attention switched to her.

One of the maids began warbling over how shocked she was, and Megure turned attention to the third man, Hatano. "Do you have an alibi, Hatano-san?"

Joan grabbed Conan's shoulder as he began to sniff experimentally. "What is it?" he asked, turning around.

"Here," she said, handing him a stick of what looked suspiciously like perfumed lip gloss. "It has no smell. Jut pretend you're smelling it, I'll stick around so it's less suspicious. We need to keep a surprise factor going here."

"Right..." Conan raised an eyebrow but otherwise kept to her plan.

They walked around a bit, going from woman to woman to try and identify the origin of the scent, until finally they reached the deceased man's wife.

"Ma'am?" Joan inquired, tugging the woman's kimono. "Why do you smell like that Doctor guy over there?"

For a long moment there was an expression of shock around the room, that rippled over the collective crowd.

"I bet they're the pair having the affair," Conan commented dryly. "How scandalous."

"Indeed," Joan replied with equal disdain and sarcasm. "It must be dreadfully secret, for two kids to be able to sniff out the two. A search dog couldn't have done better."

Then the two snickered uncontrollably for a few seconds, before becoming serious again.

"Fine!" She cried, anger flaring in her eyes. "There's no point hiding any more! I was having an affair with him!" She rushed over and grabbed the man's arm. "We're innocent! We were together the whole day at the Beika hotel!"

"It can't be counted as an alibi, miss," Joan apologized.

"We can't know for sure if you're just protecting your loved one or telling the truth." Conan continued.

"So none of you expect for Kogoro have alibis," Megure groaned, gripping his head. "Great."

* * *

As the case moved onwards, Joan and Conan went off into a corner.

"What do you think? What next?" Conan asked eagerly. For a moment, he paused, then smiled. "Geez, this is like having a twin sister! We know exactly what the other one's about to do!"

"Well," Joan shrugged. "We are pretty awesome. But let's keep on the subject at hand. Clues?"

They both turned to the phone set and smiled.

* * *

"AUGH!" Kogoro cried, as the two teen detectives hovered over the machine and Conan pushed the central button very deliberately. "Are you two at it AGAIN?!"

Joan smiled as the phone buzzed to life. "It's Hatano. Are you not at home, Maru-san? Well, I'll be there at 5PM for our appointment anyway." There was a series of the click noises, and the machine stated monotonously, "4:38 PM," before continuing with a second message.

"It's Suwa." The machine stated. "We had an appointment for 6 but I'm coming a bit earlier. I've set up a program for the Iai test next month. I'll explain in more detail later."

"4:41 PM," the machine said calmly, a few moments later.

"I see," Megure commented, looking to the collection of suspects. "The victim was to see Dr. Hatano at 5PM, and was to see Suwa at six, but Suwa came at 5."

Akutsu had become increasingly on edge since he had been there, and he was already breaking into a nervous sweat. Joan was already next to him, pulling at his sleeve.

"Mister, is that your sculpture over there?" Joan inquired, pointing to the Dragon sculpture that was magically untouched by the mass destruction.

"Ah! Thank god he didn't sell it!" Akutsu cried, smiling broadly. "And it doesn't have a scratch on it either!"

"You sure are lucky," Joan began, getting the man's attention.

"It's a miracle that only that sculpture didn't get any cuts on it!" Conan added.

Kogoro leaped forth, taking a cunning pose. "I've got it all figured out!"

"Not this again," Joan and Conan muttered in unison.

Joan allowed Conan to do the honours. "Mister, how did the receiver ring? Was there anything strange?"

"Actually," he commented, briefly pulled away from the haphazard accusations being thrown at him, "It rang for a long time. At least ten, maybe even twenty."

"That _is_ how many times the phone rings," The deceased's wife added.

"I called a little before 4PM," he explained, before Kogoro and Megure dragged him once more into what Joan swore was an excuse for a shouting match.

"Hey, you think there was something strange about the messages on the machine?" Conan inquired seriously.

"Definitely," Joan nodded. "It's worth thinking about. We still need evidence." She smiled as Conan's face switched to the one of realization that she'd seen quite a few times.

"No normal person would say that," he murmured, pacing in a circle.

"Are there any valuables in the room?" Megure asked, bringing the deceased's wife back to reality.

"There's a key to the safe in one of the drawers." she explained. Walking forward, a dainty hand reached out of her kimono and tugged on a drawer, before she let go and took a step back.

"It's gone!" She exclaimed, genuinely shocked. She paused, looking confused, and opened a few other drawers before she proclaimed that the key had been found.

As she closed the drawer, Joan felt her memory of the case racing back, and grinned wickedly at the drawer set. When she looked at Conan, he had a similar smile plastered on his face, that unique I-know-everything smile that only he could pull off well.

"Camera?" Joan inquired, showing Conan a phone that she had in her pocket. It wasn't exactly a proper camera, but she knew they could mess with the image in photoshop.

"Yeah, just take a straight-on view of the drawers," Conan requested. She did just that, opening the image in the editor and slicing it neatly into pieces.

"Wow," Conan marvelled, and for a moment Joan recalled that they were in 1996, technology-wise. She shrugged and decided to go with it.

"Here, just slide to switch the places of drawers," she explained, handing it off to him. About thirty seconds later he sat up and grinned at her.

"Hold this for me, make sure it stays just as it is!" He exclaimed, his excitement building. He dashed behind Kogoro quickly and activated his stun-gun, shooting Kogoro and diving behind Joan, who had shuffled over to stand nearby.

"I've got it, Inspector!" Conan cried, causing the room to turn their attention to the curious image of Kogoro slumped near the floor. "I've figured out who the murderer is!"

"Who is it, then?" Megure inquired, getting a little annoyed.

"Suwa-san, you are the murderer!" Kogoro, voiced-by-a-teen-turned-child, proclaimed.

"Oi, oi!" Megure grumbled, shaking his head. "There's no way Suwa-san, who practices Iai, would make the body hold the katana backwards."

"Suwa-san fooled us with that part," Conan agreed willingly. "He knew we'd think that."

"What?!" Megure cried, still feeling riled up.

"He cut the room and made the victim hold the katana so that he himself would be blamed," Conan continued triumphantly. "But gave himself an excuse, by placing the victim's hands backwards on the handle." Conan paused to take a breath. "Therefore, by doing that, it would seem like someone was trying to frame him, thus removing his status as a suspect."

"Mouri-san," Suwa said condescendingly, "do you plan to call me a murderer with only that small work-around for my statement?"

"He's right," Megure said reluctantly. "How do you explain that dragon sculpture?"

"Same reason," Conan confirmed. "Suwa-san didn't damage it because he knew it was Akutsu's, and that it would make Akutsu look responsible for the crime."

"That's absurd, I've never met him before!" Suwa exclaimed grouchily. "How would I know it belonged to him?"

"From the answering machine."

Suwa gaped.

"It's the phone call that Akutsu said he'd made," Conan explained, his smile behind his voice-changer an almost evil smirk. "You probably heard that message while you were committing the crime. The idea to frame him, from the incriminating phrases he used, no doubt, came to you."

"But Akutsu's message wasn't recorded on the machine!" Megure protested.

"He rewound the tape and put his message over it." Joan blinked briefly, then thanked the powers that be that Conan was knowledgeable about the older doohickeys that were found in his world.

"Dr Hatano could also have done that," Suwa said grimly, turning on the doctor.

"You've already admitted that you're the murderer!" Conan snapped suddenly, causing the assembly of potential criminals to flinch.

More calmly, Conan explained, "You left a message saying that you'll come here earlier than your appointment time. No one would visit the house early if they knew that the person wasn't home from the answering machine. But you knew that Maru-san was already dead, so it didn't matter."

Suwa chuckled nervously. "Maru-san told me that he had an appointment between 4 and 5, but any other time was fine. I figured it would be alright to arrive before 6PM." He smirked. "Are you still able to call me a suspect?"

"I don't think you're a suspect," Conan said calmly. "I know you're the murderer."

There was a deadly silence.

"There's undeniable evidence that he is the murderer in this very room," Conan revealed ominously. "the real reason this room has been wrecked, sword marks even covering the ceiling and floor. Suwa-san was trying to hide something."

"Hide something?" Megure repeated curiously.

"The drawers," Conan said in Kogoro's voice. "Please, look closely at the sword marks on the drawers."

Suwa's eyes went wide.

"They're mismatched!" Megure exclaimed.

"Please exchange the following drawers for me, Inspector," Conan requested, before listing out a set of switches. Finally, the scratches were lined up perfectly. Megure took a few steps back and paused.

"Suwa," he read breathlessly.

"He probably wrote it while Suwa was using the answering machine," Conan explained. "Once Suwa realised he would switch the drawers and add his own scratches to make it illegible, then cover the room in scratches to create a forest for the incriminating leaf."

"But why did he kill him?" Megure inquired. "He brought the money he owed."

"It was the katana," Joan commented, breaking the silence.

"The katana?" Megure inquired, turning to Officer Tome, who was holding it at the time. "You mean the one the victim was holding?"

"Yes." Joan nodded. "Though not that one specifically."

Suwa blinked.

"Suwa should know this as well as I do," Joan nodded to herself. "Maru-san was a controlling man who rarely gave people reason to trust him." She turned sadly to Suwa. "I bet he sold something of Suwa's. Something he could never replace."

Suwa collapsed to the ground, glaring at everything he could. "That monster! I trusted him! I lent him Kikuchiyo, the family heirloom passed down for generations, and he.. he..." his hands curled as his nails pierced the wooden floor, splinters abound from the sword marks. "He sold it! Claiming that it was worthless, that it barely made a dent in what I owe him!" He seethed. "I barely noticed anything as I hacked him down. Just. Like... THIS!" He cried, leaping forward and stealing the sword off of Officer Tome.

He came forth in an incredible sweeping motion down on Joan, and a few seconds later the sword flew out of his hands and struck the wall next to Kogoro.

He blinked, as he saw the simple cut on her palm and the complete calm (or complete asleep-ness) of Kogoro.

"A bloodied sword has no strength," she said calmly. "No sword so vulgar can pierce my side. I hope you weren't intending to murder me, Suwa-san, because you need to heal, not to kill." She blew gently on her wound as Conan picked up where she left off.

"Joan is right, Suwa-san," Kogoro's gruff voice ground out. "in that you need to heal. Please, go to the station, and begin to rebuild your life."

Suwa fell to his knees. The stress was too much. And there, in the room filled with scars, the man who created them cried.

* * *

BONUS PARAGRAPH

Joan grumbled as Conan took care to be careful with her hand as he bandaged the sword wound. She used her free hand to check her messages on her flip phone, and paused as she read the newest message from Aoyama.

"What."

Conan looked up. "Something wrong?"

"I think... I think I just figured out why we're so similar sometimes." Joan muttered. "Geez. Aoyama giving me a heart attack."  
She paused again, and Conan finished wrapping up her hand.

"Right. Well. Welly welly well." She said repeatedly. "That was unexpected. I think I might have a heart attack, to be honest."

"What's so incredible about what Aoyama said?" Conan inquired.

"Nothing," Joan shrugged. "I guess if we're both soccer-loving detective freaks with a habit of showing off someone had to be involved."

Conan shrugged and went back to tinkering with his skateboard.

" _Joan friend, I remember from where I see you now!"_ the message ran. " _You is person I made Conan idea from!"_

"Right," Joan said to herself, blinking. Then, her fangirl heart sorted itself off, and she fainted in pure joy.

* * *

A/N: Big chapter! :D

Meeeh so sleepy. I'll try and update again soon. :)


	17. Ep 17 - Mall of Misgivings

Conan grumbled as he sat in the benches on the roof. The stage in the mall was showing a Kamen Yaiba play, and he'd been dragged along with the Detective Boys to go there.

"DO THE YAIBA KICK!" Mitsuhiko yelled enthusiastically, striking the air. Conan sighed, and looked thankfully to one side, where a teen with blue eyes and black hair turned and smiled back.

"Thank you for taking us to the Yaiba play, Miss Deverson!" Ayumi said gleefully.

Joan, in her adult form, merely smiled. She had to maintain her English character, but otherwise, the other detective boys had recruited her to take her there.

"It's kind of sad that Joan developed a cold," Genta grumbled. "She would have loved this."

Mitsuhiko's eye twitched irritably.

"Michel-kun?" Joan inquired calmly in heavy English. "Is something wrong?" She smiled cunningly as he huffed and crossed his arms.

She was a bit nervous herself, but she was fairly confident. If it was anything like she expected it to be, she could handle it between herself, Conan, and Mitsuhiko.

"Hey, Jo-Anne-neesan?" Genta inquired eagerly, "Why were you gripping Conan's hand on the way upstairs?"

"Actually, why was that?" Conan commented, becoming interested. "I don't get it..."

There was a brief silence.

Then, very slowly, Joan smiled. "Because. Superstores. Are. My. Ultimate. Enemy." Joan said ominously, her fists clenching. In her thoughts, she added, _I am only in this hell out of the kindness of my heart._

"Oh yeah, you were scared of cashiers." A pause, as Conan gave her a flat look. "And mannequins." Another pause. "And stores. How on earth do you survive, anyway? How do you get food? Or clothes?"

"I make some of the clothes myself," Joan explained, pointing to her crochet blouse. "but the food? I order that in bulk. Cheaper in the long run, and I don't have to suffer cashiers." A pause. "Or mannequins." A final pause. "Or stores."

"You make clothes, Jo-neesan?" Ayumi inquired excitedly when Conan translated. "That's so cool! Could you make me something?"

"Not right away," Joan said, blushing. "But, uh, one moment..." she surfed through her bag and pulled a small red bow from her bag. "I'm still dyeing some of them, but this one is ready. Here." She pulled a medium chunk of hair into her hands and slowly tied the bow. "There. Adorable."

Ayumi giggled, and spun in a circle, grinning at her new accessory.

* * *

"I'm hungry," Genta complained as they walked out. "Jo-neesan-"

"Here." she handed him a collection of coins and pointed to the hot dog stand not far away.

As he ran back, Joan noted his lack of the Kamen Yaiba signature that he'd gotten earlier that day with satisfaction.

 _We're all set up. Now for the mission._

She steeled herself and tried not to throw up at the thought of a superstore. At night. Locked in.

She was quite proud that she didn't have a panic attack right there and then.

* * *

"AHHH!" Genta cried suddenly, breaking the song that the three Yaiba-loving children had gotten into. "It's gone!"

"What happened?" Joan inquired calmly, turning around.

"I lost the signature Yaiba gave me!" He moaned, falling to his knees. "I was going to keep it forever and ever..."

"Did he leave it somewhere?" Joan inquired, kneeling down. "Perhaps Genta-san dropped it when he was at the hot dog stand."

"Oh, that's right!" Genta cried when he was told what she'd said. "I went to buy a hot dog, and... and I must have left it behind then!"

With new found hope, he got up to his feet. "We MUST go back!" He announced.

"By now the store will be closed," Conan reasoned. "We should just wait until tomorrow."

"No! By then someone will have stolen it!" He cried, setting off. Joan watched for a few moments before dashing after them, keeping pace.

* * *

The group watched as the security guard announced that it was ten minutes before they closed to a few chatty customers.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Genta-kun?" Joan inquired in a whisper.

It was too late. The Detective Boys were already running.

Joan made her way through the doors stealthily, making sure not to bring the attention of the guard, and hid around the corner, lifting her leg as Conan ran so he could stop without hitting her.

"Ah, there... they... go..." Joan said, shivering. "Oh no, we'll have to go through the mannequins..."

"C'mon!" Conan grumbled. "We don't have time for this!"

He dragged her up the stairs.

* * *

"And... there!" Genta said, smiling broadly at the autograph. "Most precious treasure recovered!"

"Now, let's go home!" Joan said, barely remembering to continue her English. It didn't even matter that the Detective Boys knew of her fears anymore. This was too serious. She needed to leave ASAP-

The lights went out.

Later, she would deny outright that she had a panic attack on the floor. Or that it took all of them gripping onto her from different angles to bring her back to reality from the incident.

* * *

Joan ran as fast as she could while the children followed her. As they left the elevator her worst fears were confirmed, and the metal security grating came down over the glass doors, closing them in. It took a lot of deep breathing and mental avoidance to stop herself swearing right there and then.

"No!" Mitsuhiko cried.

Joan looked on the verge of having another Panic Attack.

Quickly assessing the situation, Conan said, "Let's go to the security office! We can explain and get out!"

Joan quietly thanked what greater beings existed as she followed the four through to the right floor.

* * *

As they approached the security office, Joan's sharp hearing caught the conversation ahead, and she signaled for the group to stop.

"What's wrong, Jo-" Conan began.

"Shhh..." she hissed. "People. around seven, from the sound of it... and they don't sound friendly."

Conan immediately took charge, stalking forward and glancing around the corner. Ayumi followed, and Joan hushed her before she cried out.

In the room were the actors from the show earlier that day. Kamen Yaiba, no longer wearing a mask, was hovering over a set of instructions with three others. In the corner, bound and gagged, were four people - three of which were the security officers, and the other of which was the elevator girl who had taken them down earlier that day.

"I didn't hear that elevator girl... she seems way too calm," Joan commented quietly.

"The jewelry is on the 6th floor, and the antiques are on the 7th," the faux Kamen Yaiba said. "We have some time until sunrise, so take the time to cover your tracks and make sure that you don't leave the jewels damaged while we rob this place."

Ayumi's strangled gasp was blocked out by Conan hurriedly putting a gentle hand over her mouth.

"Quiet!" He hissed, before continuing in a whisper, "just stay quiet! We've got to call the police!"

* * *

Joan tried not to curse as the phones refused to even give her a dial tone.

"Someone's cut the cords!" Mitsuhiko reported, crawling out from underneath the desk. Joan sighed and helped him out, before turning to Conan for ideas.

They tried the phone in the manager's room next, but there was no tone on that phone either.

Joan glanced around, grim determination on her face. She wasn't giving up, not yet. She laid eyes on the set of paint cans in the room next door, and a pile of paintbrushes in a box nearby, and immediately went to work.

"Joan? What are you doing?" Ayumi inquired.

"S-O-S," Joan explained, allowing Conan to figure out what she meant. It wasn't long before the children joined her in painting said letters over the wall and calling for help.

It was discouraging to watch as most of the people who could possibly see them began closing the blinds of the office building across from them, and a unified sigh was heard, before the group sat down, not sure what to do.

"We should cover that message up," Joan commented, seeing the SOS on the window. "The security camera might catch it." Getting up, she pulled down the blinds in turn and sat down again, sending the children under the tables before crawling under one herself.

The camera creaked quietly as it scanned the room, having heard the sounds of them yelling for help. She sighed in relief as the sounds stopped, and signaled for the children around her to approach.

"Let's creep around the edges," she suggested, "and try to find an exit." Conan nodded and relayed the message, and they began to sneak around the edges of the room, hoping that they would be alright.

Mitsuhiko stalked ahead and peeked around the corner of a tall table. He paused, then turned back and hissed, "Someone's coming this way!"

Joan ushered them into various hiding places, before diving under a table herself. The sound of footsteps was heard, the tapping on the floor echoing through the room as the hiders dared themselves to breath as quietly as they could.

Joan cringed as Genta opened the closet he was hiding in, directly into the thief's face.

There was a loud scream, and she immediately launched herself from another closet nearby and knocked the man over.

"Run for it!" She cried, ushering Mitsuhiko and Ayumi away.

"There are a bunch of kids and some lady here!" the man yelled into the transceiver.

They rounded a corner and lost the men.

* * *

"Right, here's the plan," Conan explained. "Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, you two hold out wires and trip them when I say. Genta, the two of us will throw those down on them," he pointed to the mattresses. "Joan, I need you to tie them down."

Joan nodded calmly, trying to focus. She snapped to attention and rushed into position as the two men came forth.

Mitsuhiko and Ayumi pulled the wire tight, and the men both tripped and fell. As they moved to get to their feet, Genta yelled out and threw a mattress down on them, soon being joined by Conan as they buried the men under the mattresses.

Joan dashed forward, the rope in her hand, and grabbed the man around the waist to restrict him and quickly trussed him up as Conan and Genta started wrapping up the other man. She finished up with a tight knot and raced for the transceiver that lay forgotten on the ground, fallen from the criminal's pocket.

"Oi! What happened up there?!" The transceiver blared. Deciding it wasn't worth it, she snapped it in half and raced away with the children.

* * *

"Ah! Lucky!" Ayumi cried, running towards an elevator.

"STOP!" Joan cried, the panic in her voice enough to stop the group. She paused, turned to the camera, and feeling childish she stuck out her tongue.

The elevator shut down and she swore she could hear the criminals seething.

"We were almost trapped!" Mitsuhiko cried, taking a step back. "Thanks for stopping us, Joan- ah, Jo-Anne Neesan!"

"Geez, thank her when we're out of here safely..." Conan grumbled.

* * *

They were running. At some point the other two criminals had started chasing them down, and it wouldn't be long before the two left behind broke away from their situation and joined the ones chasing them now.

"I don't want to die!" Genta cried, running as fast as he could. Joan cringed and glanced at Mitsuhiko.

Whispering, she said, "Fight back! There's no hope of outrunning them!" He nodded and hissed the order to Genta.

A few moments later, they spun on their heels, and Genta launched himself in a full body tackle, knocking the first criminal backwards. The second closed in on Mitsuhiko, who took a deep breath.

 _Remember what Joan taught you about her martial art,_ He thought desperately. _Redirect the force. Redirect the force._

The man's arm shot out, and in a flash, Mistuhiko had flipped the man over his head and left him on his back. He turned around and jumped on top of him as Joan finished tying up the other man with a scarf and jumping for the man he'd downed.

She paused, then smiled, a childish grin on her face. She didn't dare say anything in a way he could understand, but body language was more than enough to bring forth a bashful smile.

"Are you guys okay?" Conan called, Ayumi not far behind. He slowed as Joan gave him a thumbs up sign, using her other hand to point to the two men who were squirming on the ground.

"Let's get going!" he decided, signaling everyone to follow him. "This way!"

They kept running.

* * *

The escalators were not very scary compared to mannequins and cashiers. There were no human likenesses to ask her intrusive questions as they ran a scanner over her baguette or stare into her soul eerily while wearing the latest gaudy dress. But, since those things were often associated with malls, and malls often needed escalators, her fears extended to the incredible height of the moving walkway. There were other reasons that she feared escalators like she did mannequins and cashiers, but for that moment, it was enough.

She hesitated at the top as the children worked their way down, then walked slowly down, making sure she could run back up or down whenever she needed to.

The escalator started moving and she had to grip the side bars to cure her dizziness.

"We're surrounded!" Conan cried, observing that there were two men at either end of the escalator. Without thinking, Joan began helping the children over onto the nearby decoration, that ran down to the lower floors. She paused, then decided to deal with the men herself.

Swallowing deeply to try and keep herself balanced, she dashed suddenly in the same direction as the escalator and launched herself into the men at the top of the escalator. She kicked at the second one, whipping around with her leg and sending him into the other man.

The two others got to the top just then, and she wound up before kicking the first one to one side. Continuing the rotational force, she put her hands into fists and punched him down to the ground.

Grabbing some nearby scarves in the time it took them to recover, she quickly delivered a few chest-punches and trussed them up, before rushing down the escalator and sliding down the decoration. She hopped onto the escalator fearfully and waited for the escalator to get her there.

Just then, the escalator stopped, and as she stepped off she felt her breath going shallow.

"Let's get out of here," she said to Conan, barely maintaining her English.

"Agreed!" Conan said seriously.

* * *

They sat under the cashier's table, eating quietly.

"Geez, how do they keep escaping?!" Conan grumbled to himself.

Joan commented, "I bet they aren't doing it by themselves, Conan-kun."

That made him pause to think.

"I promise I'll pay back the store for all the food we eat," Ayumi said before she munched on a bagel.

"Are we going to be saved?" Mitsuhiko asked, looking up at Joan hopefully.

Joan smiled and turned to Conan, whispering something. He looked up and said, "We can defeat them! We wouldn't be the Detective Boys if a little thief group like this was all it took to stop us!"

"The... Detective Boys?" Genta said slowly. "Yeah! Of course! This won't stop us!"

There was a small group of rallying cries before they began to make a plan.

* * *

"Where did they hide now?!" The first man, still dressed in the Kamen Yaiba suit minus the mask, called out. He decided not to mention that the marks they sported on their cheeks were from being practically run over by a set of bikes, and that the missing fourth man was lying tied up in a pool of liquor.

Just as they turned the corner, They were bombarded with a rain of rapid-fire baseballs out of a machine set on overdrive.

The Kamen Yaiba ducked quickly, dodging most of the balls, while his team mates were left to be thoroughly knocked down. He got up as it ended and began the chase again, cornering them down a hallway of dog cages.

He paused, his knife at the ready, being careful to not anger the dogs. He heard light panting around the hall and was about to approach when he heard a voice call out.

He didn't have time to even realize what had been said before he was being attacked by a pack of dogs. A few minutes after his costume was pulled to pieces the woman with the children called them off and tied him up.

"We've got the bulk of you guys now," she said calmly, "so give up and don't resist. I don't want to have to beat you up again."

"Ha!" He grinned, hiding his humiliation. "Our leader is still out there. She's in control."

"Or so you think," the woman replied, leaving him to fear for his leader's fate.

* * *

They shared their victory cry with a high five, and grinned at the pile of criminals, who were tied down in the hall. Conan left from the cheer and pulled Joan aside.

"I think there's final one to deal with in the control room," he said. "I hate to do this, but can you stay here while I-"

"No," Joan said simply. "One, I'm currently stronger than you are. Two, it will be less suspicious to the kids if I leave, and three, I already know that it's the elevator girl."

He paused, then decided not to protest, instead herding the children over to guard the pile as 'Joan found a way out'.

* * *

Joan creeped around the corner calmly, hiding her shadow by sticking to the wall. As she finally reached the edge, she heard the gentle sound of high heels tapping against the ground.

She waited calmly before tripping the woman over. Her gun fell from her pocket as her high heels fell off, and Joan grabbed the weapon before the woman could take it back.

Solid determination shone in her eyes as she pointed it directly at the woman.

She failed to realize that the woman had a _second_ gun.

"I know this is not the best way to greet myself, but curse you," Joan said sarcastically. Then she was too busy running from haphazard shots to send any more witty comments.

They bounded up the set of stairs leading all the way to the roof, where Joan stopped and held out her toe again. The woman smirked and hopped over it, but as she turned she felt her gun being snatched from her hands.

"Seriously?" Joan said dubiously. "You thought I would use the same trick again?" As the woman snarled and jumped forth, Joan pushed off with the building and leaped over her, running for the other side of the roof.

She dashed up and failed to grab the gun from Joan. There were a few passes exchanged before the woman said mockingly, "Aren't you going to shoot?"

"No," Joan replied. "I have no reason to."

"That's your mistake," the woman replied, a sick grin on her face as she pulled _yet another gun._

Joan cursed moments before she was shot multiple times in every vital spot she could name.

She collapsed under the buzzing all over her body, but soon recovered, the bullets falling from her body as she lifted herself from the ground. The criminal woman made no comment as she watched the person she'd filled with bullets lift herself to her feet.

"Smart move," Joan said calmly. "Sadly, you chose the wrong person to shoot at." And with that, the walked forth and gripped the woman's wrists, pulling her over to some rope and tying her to it.

* * *

"Hey, is that an SOS on that window?" The officer asked, pointing.

"Well, what d'ya know," Officer Tome said, adjusting his glasses. "It is."

* * *

The officers stormed in to see a strange scene. Of to one side was a group of children covered in store-wrapped blankets. In a pile nearby were a bunch of tied up criminals, dressed as Kamen Yaiba characters, and in one case the department store outfit. But strangest was the shivering woman in the center of the room, who had two guns in front of her.

"Hello, officer," she said calmly, despite the fact that she continued to shiver. "we dealt with the thieves. I'm afraid that the Detectives who protected me are asleep, however." She got up and handed him the weapons. "Now, I would very much appreciate a towel and a hot cup of cocoa. I'll just be outside with the officer in the car."

* * *

A/N: I've been away for a while but I'm back now! Hopefully I can catch up!

If you're curious, no, I am not having a life crisis. I'm just lazy and my brain is in Hawaii.


	18. Ep 18-19 Brides and Clothes

Joan sighed as she read the newest Kamen Yaiba book. It was a slow day at the book store, and while she was off duty for the next hour or so, she decided to finish.

"Ah, Joan!" Kei, one of the other workers, greeted her. "I didn't know you were a Kamen Yaiba fan."

"I have a few friends with children," she replied. "It's an important part of their lives, so I read the books so I can join the conversations." She smiled. "Beyond that, it is a good book."

"I see," he smiled back. "I guess I ought to try it sometime." he wandered off again as two customers, looking to be a couple, came in.

Instead of waiting for him, they instead went straight for the manager at the customer service table. He smiled at them and greeted them amicably.

"Ah, Matsumoto-san, welcome!" He said jovially. "and hello to your fiancée too."

"Takasugi Toshihiko, sir," he supplied quietly.

"Hello!" his soon-to-be wife smiled at the man. "I'm not here for books today. You have anyone that I could borrow for tomorrow morning?"

"Let me see... ah, Deverson-san?" he called, prompting Joan to get up. "Mind helping me out with this? I'll give you a bonus."

"Sure," She replied, smiling. "Matsumoto-san and Takasugi-san, right?"

"Yes, we need a flower girl for our wedding!" Matsumoto explained. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all," Joan replied. "You're... let me see... you must be a Music teacher." She decided.

"How did you know?" Takasugi inquired.

"You resemble the woman who is in Mouri-san's class picture from grade school," she explained. "I seem to recall that Kudo Shinichi was also in that class. How well did you manage?"

"Three years of pure torture," She replied with a wicked grin. "For him, that is. But he was a good student if he tried."

"True, he doesn't try often enough, from what I've heard." She tilted her head. "From what Mouri-san tells me, the only thing he has enthusiasm for is detective work."

Toshihiko spoke up. "Well, we're headed to help with decorations. The Chapel is over that way, past Tsukimi road and through Main street. You can't miss it."

"I hope to see you there," Joan replied.

The moment they left, however, her face switched to one of grim determination.

 _So, the bride walks unaware towards her near death..._ she thought. _I can change this._

* * *

She felt a light tap on her shoulder as she walked towards the chapel. Turning, she saw Ran, looking slightly shy.

"Hello," she said in better English than the last time she'd spoken to this personality of Joan's. "I am Ran Mouri, from the Valentine's day case."

"I remember you," Joan replied, offering her hand and shaking with the girl. "Where is little Conan?"

"He is not here today," Ran replied, tilting her head. "I'm sorry."

"No, it is alright," Joan said amicably. "Conan should be with his friends, not at a wedding."

Ran didn't seem to get it, simply smiling in a friendly manner. Joan giggled to herself and followed her inside.

* * *

"Ah, Ran, there you are!" Sonoko cried, waving her friend over. "Let's go see Matsumoto-sensei!"

The three girls walked to the grand door of the prep room and opened it carefully, giving plenty of chances for protest. The door opened onto the woman from the day before dressed in a grand dress, which trailed for a good meter behind her. Her hair was adorned with a shimmering veil, and her face was the image of youthful joy.

"Ah, Mouri-san, Suzuki-san!" She cried, running for them. "It's great to see you! Is Shin-chan going to be here?"

"He's busy," Ran replied, before huffing grumpily. "He doesn't have any time anymore... geez."

"That's too bad," She commented, grinning. "I would have seen if he'd been keeping up with his Music practice! Oh, Miss Deverson, welcome to you as well!"

"It is a pleasure," Joan said calmly.

"You speak Japanese?" Ran inquired suddenly, blinking.

Joan quickly covered up for herself. "I have been learning. I work at a book store now."

"That's nice," Ran commented. "Was my English okay?"

"Much better." She said honestly.

Just then, a tall woman walked in, calling, "Sayuri, I got you lemon tea!"

"Thank you Kazumi-san!" Sayuri called, running forward and taking it.

"Ah, have this," Joan said, handing her a straw. "So your lipstick does not smear."

"Thank you, Deverson-san," Sayuri replied cheerily. She began drinking happily from the can as Kazumi watched on. Suddenly, she paused and said, "Kazumi-san... I'm sorry."

"Oi! At this time?" Kazumi laughed, patting the bride's shoulder. "Just you wait! I'll be telling everyone at the reception that the groom is my ex!" She laughed. "See you!"

As the lady left, Sayuri turned to her bag. "I have another one, anybody want it?"

"Ah, may I?" Sonoko inquired, taking it from Sayuri's hands. "Thank you!"

Just then, a man burst in. "Sayuri?" His burly stature towered over everyone in the room, and Ran immediately took stance.

"Ah, hello, inspector," Joan said, dipping into a short bow. "I'm afraid you startled us. We were just enjoying some tea."

He ignored her, though Ran relaxed once more. "Sayuri, are you sure you want this guy?" He asked seriously. "I know plenty of boys in my division who have way more of a backbone than him!"

Joan blinked. "Sir! At their wedding? Have you gone mad?!"

He seemed to realize what he was saying and backed away. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his booming voice reduced to an embarrassed mumble. "I just want the best for my daughter." He looked over to the can of lemon tea and sniffed.

"When will you stop drinking kid drinks?" He muttered.

"Never!" She replied cheekily. "I like it, so there's no problem!"

He grunted and walked away without saying a word.

"Geez, you'd think he'd at least compliment me on the dress..." She muttered.

"Perhaps this would compliment it," Said a young man from outside the door as he took advantage of the elder man leaving. He handed her a set of pink roses that seemed incredibly fresh.

"Thank you, Umemiya-kun," she said, taking it from him. He smirked as the two girls at the camera whispered about who me might be.

"Oh no," Sonoko muttered as he left. "The battery's running out!"

They quickly left, leaving Sayuri in the room alone with Joan.

"Darn... I was hoping Kudo-kun would show up. He looks just like my Toshihiko..." she grumbled, taking another sip of the tea.

"He does, doesn't he?" Joan agreed. "Say, isn't that him now?"

Voices could be heard through the door, and soon said groom was pushed through the door. He blinked and commented, "Sayuri, you look amazing!"

"You bet!" She replied, winking at him. As she walked forth, he frowned.

"You're still drinking Lemon tea?" he asked, taking it. Her face went downcast as he stared at it.

"Sir?" A man came through and took the man's arm. "The ceremony will begin soon." He was dragged away after he handed the drink back to her.

There was a silence.

"Matsumoto-san?" Joan probed. "May I borrow that drink for just a moment?"

With a shocked expression, the woman began, "I don't see why-"

"Please," Joan insisted. "I promise I won't drink a drop of it."

With great reluctance, Sayuri handed her the drink. Joan went to the door, saying, "I'll be right back."

* * *

"Takasugi Toshihiko-san."

Said man turned, being alone in the hallway. He winced when he saw the Lemon tea can, but said nothing.

Joan frowned, and taking out a handkerchief, she poured a small amount of the drink onto the handkerchief. Shortly, a small pellet, already dissolving, fell out.

"Why?" Joan asked simply, already knowing.

"That man, the inspector," he said without emotion, "crashed into my mother while chasing a suspect. He never stopped, even though she might have lived if he had. She died only fifteen minutes later." He glared at the cup. "When I learned Sayuri was his daughter, flames of revenge built within me. I wanted to kill her, so he could see what he did to me."

"I see." She put away the cup. "I will not tell a soul. But know this: the girl who you gave lemon tea in your childhood is the same one who wears a bridal dress today." She turned to glance back. "The one who has loved you for twenty years. You've gotten a second chance: I suggest you take it."

She left the bewildered man to is wedding, his eyes already welling up with tears.

* * *

BONUS EPISODE

* * *

The darkness was moved very little by the shadowy figure as a set of laced shoes were set down on the floor and the high heels on the figure's feet were removed and slid into the set of sneakers. The footsteps were the only sound as she walked over to the sign, to the elevator, and back to where she had come. She turned back for but a moment to see the footprints on the ground. Her face slid into a smirk at the dusty footprints left behind, before the figure left.

* * *

"Geez, it's a holiday! Why's the traffic so bad?" Kogoro moaned as the four sat in the back of a bus.

"Maybe because it's a holiday," Joan said quietly, smirking. "At least it isn't as bad as the trains right now."

Ran was too busy studying the set of flowers in her hands to pay attention, surely dreaming of who she would soon meet.

"Say, this Ashia Eiko, the fashion designer..." Conan began, getting Joan's attention. "wasn't her latest show cancelled all of a sudden?"

"Her designs were leaked to a rival, I think," Joan commented.

Just then, the bus stopped, and they piled out outside the large building, soon rushing inside.

* * *

"Excuse me!" Ran cried, waving down a worker. "I'm Mouri Ran!"

"Ah," he nodded, "We were expecting you. The boss will be down here in a moment, so please wait over there." He directed her to a set of couches near the entrance.

As the four of them awed at the huge building, Ran commented, "It's so empty today."

"Yes," the guard answered, "It's a company holiday, see, so most of the regulars are elsewhere today."

As he finished his sentence, the doors opened for a slim woman wearing a fancy jacket, and she dashed in. She called out, "Ran-san! I hope you didn't wait too long!"

"No, it's okay," Ran protested, going silent as the woman walked over to the two guards.

"Hey, are big bags in style now?" Joan inquired, frowning at the woman's large brown bag slung over her shoulder.

"It's retro," Ran agreed. "But the style will probably re-emerge soon." Joan stopped at that, leaving time for Conan to glance at the woman himself and raise a curious eyebrow.

"I really am sorry for being late," she apologized again, turning to face Ran. Ran paused, then decided to introduce the people with her.

"This is my father, Mouri Kogoro," she explained, motioning to him. "These two are children we're taking care of at the moment - Edogawa Conan and Mizukami Joan."

"Ah, Joan?" She inquired, her interest piqued. "So she's French?"

"No," Joan replied smoothly. "English, from a French family. We're diverse, if not confusing." Conan rolled his eyes, simply allowing the conversation to continue.

The woman paused, then blinked. "Wait... you can't be..."

"Can't be what?" Joan inquired innocently.

"The death angel!" she cried, pointing. "The one who was said to have brought people back to life!"

Joan stared at her like she'd grown a second head. For a moment she feared discovery, but the woman continued, "those three from the famed Moonlight Sonata Murder not long ago! They all re-appeared a day later, claiming a spectre in the shape of a young girl named Joan brought them back to life! They all went on to spend incredible amounts of money on the poor and needy!" She grabbed the girl's hands and said, "You're her!"

Joan sighed and rolled her eyes. "Oh, yeah, I'm not her. She keeps reminding me that she exists." She sighed dramatically. "I swear, if one more person accuses me of being some sort of messiah..."

She paused, then took a step back. Smiling once more, she was rescued from further embarrassment as a younger woman strolled in, pausing as she reached the group.

"Ah, this is my secretary, Taniguchi Mika." She turned to the woman. "These people are Mouri Ran-san and her father, Kogoro." The two of them bowed accordingly. "The two children are Mizukami Joan-chan, and Edogawa Conan-kun." She smiled. "Sorry for calling you on a Sunday."

"It's alright," Mika replied. "I'll just quit earlier." Her detached expression gave no hint of reacting to Ashia's frown.

"I must get some papers from my room," Ashia said, traces of annoyance in her voice. "Please wait over there with your father and Conan-kun, Ran-san."

"Right," Ran agreed, beginning the walk over.

"Taniguchi-san, please go prepare in the fitting room on the eighth floor," she ordered, a new steel in her voice. The two women began walking towards the doors, Ashia pushing the middle elevator's button as she passed, before pushing the one after it herself. The elevators arrived, and Taniguchi walked in, turning around and pressing the button, before turning her back to the door and sighing.

The doors closed.

Taniguchi checked her phone and sighed once more, shaking her head. She was about to turn once more when she heard a voice behind her.

"Blackmail and robbery."

She snapped around as the ping noise showed that the doors had opened. She was unsure if the young girl before her was from the eighth floor, or if she had been on the elevator since the beginning.

"What do you mean?" She asked, smiling at the child. Surely this young girl hadn't figured out-

"You think you're smart, don't you?" Joan continued. " 'She's just some woman,' you'll think. 'She can't do anything about those sold designs,' you'll think. 'I've completely outmaneuvered Ashia Eiko,' you'll think. Then she'll call you to the fifteenth floor and you'll wait." She paused. "Little do you know that she's planning your death."

Now this was way too incongruous not to notice. She ran out of the elevator and grabbed the small girl's hand as the doors closed.

"Why? How?" She asked seriously.

"Simple." Joan replied. "I'm not telling you. I'm just saying that there are better ways to make money than conning people and taking advantage of others." She shrugged. "Especially considering that that company you tried to sell Ashia's stuff to didn't buy it."

"There's no being fair in this world," Taniguchi hissed. "Know that, kid, because-"

"You're an idiot, just like all the others," Joan sighed. "I can't believe I'm even trying." She walked up and grabbed the woman's collar.

"Listen up, and listen good," Joan hissed, making the older woman gulp at the sheer steel a child's voice could muster. "Money won't buy you love for more than a day. Money has a cost, Taniguchi, and that cost is everything worthwhile in live. Friendships that might have been had. Self-worth. Respect. Enjoyment of the simple. You can't have those things when all you can see are the big numbers in the bank." She let go. "Forget it. But if you die today, know that most people you've known will think, 'good riddance.'"

And with that, Joan left, leaving a stunned con-woman behind her.

* * *

Ashia prepped herself, readying her knife.

 _I can do this._

 _I must._

 _For my future._

The voices in her head were unified. This had to be the right thing to do. Even if she was rather fond of her secretary, she had to do this. She had to kill Taniguchi Mika for selling her designs. Her life's work. What made living worth it, to see people walking down the street in her clothes. To see the beauty of them wearing her favourites.

It would all be worth it.

"No one deserves death," a voice said.

"Taniguchi does," Ashia protested, shaking her head. Then she realized what had just happened and dropped her knife.

"No. Even if she's a good-for-nothing con woman, she still deserves a chance, right up until the last moment." Ashia turned to see a small girl staring her down.

Quite notably, a girl with a pair of angel's wings.

"You're..." she murmured, eyes going wide.

"An idiot?" Joan finished. "Probably. That makes two idiots I've met today. One who murders for her clothing, and one who cons for a number in an account. Will the wonders of the world never cease?" She shook her head. "Look, you've got two choices here. Create some new designs and make it all worth it, or kill some good-for-nothing just for a brief moment of satisfaction before it's off to jail with you and no more designing." She shrugged. "It might also be healthy to mention that the company that other idiot tried to sell you designs to declined."

"They did?" She asked, unsure what else to say.

"Yes. Now what are you going to do?" Joan asked. "Or should I say, what are you not going to do?"

Ashia looked at the weapon on the ground, pausing. Her mind was no longer confident, her thoughts confused. Soon, though, she realized how truthfully idiotic she was being.

"I can't." She shook her head. "I need... I need to... tell Ran that I'm sorry, please." She dropped her bag on the knife and wiped away tears. "A girl as innocent as her doesn't deserve the stress of a model's life."

"I'll be sure to get her your new designs for her birthday," Joan said, winking. "Run along now. We can't have you standing around murderous things, can we? I'll dispose of those."

She watched with satisfaction as the woman walked off with a distant expression, taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Joan walked over to the weapon, put it in the large gray bag with a wince of distaste, then threw them out down from the balcony of the emergency exit, nodding to herself as she heard a dull thump.

"Mission accomplished," She grinned, pulling in her wings once more. With a smile, she walked downstairs to return to Conan and the others.

She decided not to inform Taniguchi on how she managed to get to the eighth floor faster than her, but she still managed to beat her walking down.

* * *

A/N: I'm ALIVE!

YAY!

Enjoy guys! I must now sleep. Hope two episodes made up for the chapter drought somehow.


	19. Ep 20 - The Haunted Mansion

"Jo-san!" Genta walked over, putting a hand on her desk. "Did you hear? Ayumi-chan saw a ghost!"

"I doubt it was a real one," Joan shrugged, "but do go on. I'll be interested to see what this one actually is."

He blinked, sighed, and continued, "We wanted you and Conan to come ghost-hunting with us. I guess logically minded people wouldn't really believe, would they..."

"I believe," Joan grinned. "Logic isn't everything. I'll join you, if only for fun. I'll... convince... Conan for you." She grinned, prompting Genta to gulp deeply.

"Can you convince Mitsuhiko while you're at it?" He asked hopefully. "He's being all science-y again."

"Sure."

* * *

Walking over, she patted Conan on the shoulder to get his attention. "You've heard what the Detective boys are doing today, right?"

"No," he admitted.

"Ghost-hunting." She smiled almost angelically. _Almost._ "And you're coming with us."

He was about to protest when he recalled the extensive amount of blackmail material that she had in her collection, and instead said, "Right. This better be worth it."

There was a quietly audible cheer from outside the door where Ayumi and Genta were waiting.

* * *

As they stood outside, Genta exclaimed, "I brought this baseball bat! I'll keep away anything that tries to hurt us!"

"I brought these Flashlights, and a compass," Mitsuhiko declared, "so we won't get lost."

Ayumi smiled. "I brought candy!"

There was a general consensus that Ayumi brought the best help.

"I brought those two," Joan giggled, "and, if it makes a difference... I brought the updated detective badges."

As they were shared around, Joan winked at Conan and tossed him a small camera.

"Ah," Mitsuhiko began, but he was hushed.

"Conan, since you brought the camera, you can take pictures of any ghosts we see," She said calmly. "Right, let's go."

* * *

"Interesting house, isn't it," Joan snickered, barely holding back her laughter. "Let's search the perimeter. We ought to find something we can get through."

Thunder rolled above in a dark sky, and the idea was quickly accepted so that they could get somewhere faster.

As she followed the others, she considered her options. She could keep it to the book, so to say - or maybe...

Her grin was only concealed by her will to pull the prank.

"I can't _believe_ you convinced me to do this," Mitsuhiko sighed. "But I guess it is worth it."

"It will be," she grinned. "Trust me." She turned her head as she heard a cry from Genta.

"We found a hidden entrance!" Ayumi cried, waving them over. "Let's go in!"

* * *

Joan trailed behind just far enough that when the group turned a corner, she could break away. She paused, then flipped directions, rushing through a door which she didn't bother to close and diving under a desk.

Just then, there was a high-pitched scream, and someone ran inside, before hiding in a desk nearby. Joan sighed in exasperation and let out her wings only slightly, before dashing out and grabbing a cloak off a nearby hook.

She covered her face entirely with the cloth, thanking the fact she was small enough to do so, and watched as Ayumi creeped out from under the desk and let out a strangled gasp.

Joan smirked, held a finger to her mouth, then held in her wings, allowing Ayumi to squeal and run away.

She lifted off the cloak and put it back, before running out again and standing to one side. A few moments later, the three boys came running out after Ayumi, whom she followed back in.

"Aww," she grumbled, "he's gone!"

Joan blinked. She knew that her angel-trick was sort of genderless, but...

"I bet it was just a trick of the light on this cloak," Mitsuhiko reasoned, picking it up. "this is the one, right?"

Conan gave Joan a look that told her he knew what she'd done, and she smiled.

"Maybe it showed up just for you, Ayumi-chan," Joan suggested. "Maybe you have a guardian angel!"

"You think so, Joan?" Ayumi asked excitedly. "Oh, I hope I see him again!"

Mitsuhiko blinked, sighed, and put the cloak back, muttering, "Logic always finishes last on the awesome level for you guys..."

They kept going.

* * *

Joan sighed as Ayumi jumped once again, the crack of thunder shocking her. Joan's arm snapped out to grab Ayumi's arm before she could run off, and she pulled her back on track.

"We're just headed for a bathroom, there's nothing to be scared of," Joan soothed. "Look, if something surprises you, instead of running as far away as possible you should just grab onto one of us. We're all here for you."

Ayumi instantly gripped Conan's hand tightly and refused to let go, much to Conan's chagrin.

"I feel like an adventurer in a video game," Genta commented as they walked along.

"That's a Party, right?" Ayumi inquired. "Oh! I'd definitely be the cute female warrior, then!"

"I'd be the Knight!" Genta cried, waving his bat around.

"I'd be the intelligent magic-user," Mitsuhiko said smugly.

"Conan would be the one that was dragged along," Joan giggled.

"What would you be, Joan?" Ayumi asked.

"The one nobody chose," Joan shrugged. "I'd be the reformed thief. Every game needs one."

There was a confused glance between the three, admittedly four, detective geeks. Mitsuhiko gulped and asked, "Why a reformed thief?"

Joan shrugged. "Thieves are cool as they are criminal. As much as it's wrong to steal, it's also incredibly fun to deceive. That's what I'm all about - being mysterious, tricking people, confusing the mind and manipulating the body. It's a whole science by itself." She giggled. "And anyway, Detectives are really just a branch-off from that. A science studying another science."

This made Mitsuhiko glow with joy. At least he appreciated how cool science could be - magic was fun, but after a while it just became systematic. Use a spell, move on. There was something indescribably fun about having to think about how to deceive people into seeing magic that wasn't magic at all.

Conan huffed. "Let's just keep moving."

As Mitsuhiko blinked at the three of them walking away, Joan walked next to him. "Conan may be as logically minded as you are, but he doesn't quite get how awesome it is, does he?"

"No," Mitsuhiko agreed. "You understand me."

"It's my specialty," she replied, forgetting to mention that his entire life was a story that she'd read hundreds of times.

* * *

A slight creak was heard around the corner, lasting long enough and being loud enough to scare a portion of the detective boys. Conan and Joan turned around to see the group hiding behind them.

Joan smirked, holding back an amused giggle, before continuing onward. "You guys stay here," she offered. "I'll go see what that was."

Conan rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner but stayed put with the other detective boys, and she nodded to herself before turning the corner and walking into an empty room.

The window was open - and how easy it would have been, at that moment, to stretch her wings and jump out - and let the wind flow freely into the room, making her feel a bit chilly. With a brief sigh she dashed off to the side and clung to the small ridge on the edge of the door, letting her wings grow and balance her.

"Jo-san?" she heard Ayumi say, and she watched as the group of four walked in, glancing about the room. Mitsuhiko walked over to the window and began making comments about how it was normal for it to be mistaken for the supernatural. She reached out with one wing and poked Ayumi's shoulder gently before swinging through the door, grinning at the sudden gasp that erupted from the room.

Letting go of her transformation for the second time that day, she snuck around the corner and hid in another nearby room. She blinked when she saw Mitsuhiko leave, his flashlight at the ready.

"She must be around here somewhere," he muttered, waving his flashlight around at the darker parts of the room. A bit louder, he called, "Jo-san! Are you here?"

There was a sudden scream from below, and Joan jolted from her hiding place behind a set of boxes, barely daring to breathe as her senses went hyperactive on her. She heard Mitsuhiko begin to mutter encouragement to himself as the screams became more prominent, until she finally decided to take the plunge.

Grabbing Mitsuhiko as she ran past, not even giving him a chance to speak, and he screamed just loud enough that she bothered to look behind her.

It was far too dark to see how or why, but there was a tall, aging figure holding a candelabra at arm's length ahead of her. She gulped and ran faster, taking as many turns as possible to try and throw her off their scent. Hopping over a set of boxes and dashing into another room, she grabbed Mitsuhiko around the stomach and flung herself at the window.

There was a deafening crash as she broke through and landed hard, getting up and shaking it off before dashing forward again. She gripped Mitsuhiko's hand tightly and hopped the wall hurriedly, throwing him over and yelling, "Run for it! I'll get the others!"

He returned a fearful nod and ran off quickly, swallowing his pride and the desire to follow her back in.

* * *

By the time Joan had gotten the elderly lady - a widow of the late father of a man named Akio - she was panting hard and could barely focus. She took a few deep breaths and dashed off towards the halls again, catching sight of Genta wandering off on his own.

Sighing, she dashed out in front of him and stopped him, startling him enough that he fell over backwards. With a quiet glance around, she grabbed his hand and silently led him back to the room from before.

Ayumi was already gone.

"Hush," she murmured. "Escape. There's someone dangerous here. Take that path there." she pointed out the nearby window towards the path Mitsuhiko had taken. "I'll get Ayumi and Conan and get them out of here. It's dangerous."

He was about to protest when a set of powerful footsteps echoed outside. Without a spare moment, she punched the window, shattering it, and grabbed him by the shirt.

"Safe flight," she murmured, before throwing him out. While it wasn't exactly high, she regretted it instantly afterwards, but was comforted when she saw him get to his feet and get running as fast as he could.

She paused, then turned around and spread her wings. It was time she went down to save Conan and Ayumi.

* * *

"Who's there?!"

The woman searched around the small room, her son finally distracted from ripping apart his meal or crying his heart out. She glared at the corner where Conan and Ayumi held their breath.

Just then, there was a strong wind, and the woman turned around to an open door. The wind died down to a small figure wearing the cloak from before.

"There it is," Ayumi murmured. "That's him!" Conan blinked before focusing on resisting the urge to facepalm.

"Stop this," Said the cloak, in a voice that was not clearly one gender or another. "It gets you nowhere."

"I must protect my child!" the woman cried, throwing the candelabra at the form. It sidestepped, the metal clanging painfully on the hard ground behind it.

"You are hurting him." It replied, taking a few steps forward and turning slightly. Its face was obscured by the cloth, but it was obvious it had turned to look at him.

"Please mother! He's right!" He cried, grabbing the bars. "Please let this end!"

She seemed torn until a small hand reached out form under the cloth and grabbed hers. With a shiver, two bright, clear wings burst forth, and the woman fell to her knees.

"Turn yourselves in," She advised. "It will prove there is still good in both of you. I bid you all farewell." With a slow pull, it let go, before walking away slowly, and going up the stairs.

Conan, feeling safer now, left his hiding place, still holding Ayumi's hand tightly. With a curt nod to the woman, the three of them helped the man out of the cell and up the stairs, outside into the now shining daylight and away towards town and the police office.

On the roof of the building, Joan smirked.

"I hope she won't mind me borrowing this place for a bit..."

* * *

A/N: Ta-da! I have returned!

Exams, new semesters, new classes! It's a great time to be alive, I assure you, but it is not a good time to be a lazy author. I apologize for the wait - hopefully this chapter is as cool as you wanted it to be!


	20. Questions!

Hey guys!

So yeah, this isn't he chapter you've all been waiting for, but once school's out it will be.

While I'm here, I may as well talk to you guys about Corrupted, so feel free to ask any questions you might have about the series! I've got a lot planned for Corrupted and I'd really like to hear what you all have to say.

Also - I'm facing a pretty interesting decision. I have the option to go ahead with an idea I've been playing with, but it might take over in a few scenarios that I would otherwise dedicate to other characters. If you want to avoid spoilers, skip the next paragraph (in italics).

 _I have the option to add into the mix a character that would normally not appear until Movie 6, as well as create a branch of Original storyline that will be made entirely of memorable characters outside of the Detective boys or any other main cast members. I'm really excited to see where it goes, but I'm a bit worried since the story is already extremely complicated. Please tell me in the review section if you'd like to see this new branch become part of the story now or later._

Spoilers end here.

Anyways, I'm still active on Fanficiton for those of you who want some questions answered, so feel free to PM me and ask me about the series.

Finally, the story will get its next chapter soon, but it all depends on your reaction. Thank you.

Darkford


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